


Bright nights and dark days

by Ghostwritemylife



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-04
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2019-08-17 17:33:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 35,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16520897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghostwritemylife/pseuds/Ghostwritemylife
Summary: Jinsol is used to being alone, life was easier that way for everyone. Closing herself off from the world and preferring the dark of night to the blinding daylight, she lives her life as anyone else would. Something is missing, she would soon find out what, or who, to be more precise...





	1. Nights are the darkest before the dawn

A chilly and dark night hovers above everyone sleeping soundly in Jinsol's apartment block. Yet Jinsol finds herself on the edge of her rooftop again, staring up at the sky, letting her heart bleed into the wind, carrying her away. This was a common occurrence in her short yet pain-filled life. Jinsol has always been alone, as far as she can remember...

Her parents abandoned her at an orphanage when she was only 4 months old. She never blamed them, she knew she was a handful. Honestly, she was glad they left her, that way she never had to deal with hurting them. She has a track record of hurting people in any way possible. Madame Kim, the caretaker back at the orphanage, saw it too. Jinsol was a very kindhearted and warm child. Her big, cute doe eyes helped her get her way, always. But nobody could ever get close to her. Anyone that tried, ended up hurt.

There was little Yerin, she was only a year younger than Jinsol but came into the orphanage at a later age. They were 5 and 6 years old, and Madame Kim had made the mistake of for the first time since she had arrived, giving Jinsol a roommate. Jinsol slept in a separate room as soon as she was 1 year old. The orphanage had the space to spear and since Jinsol was such a calm and quiet child, they never had a problem. The first night of Jinsol having a roommate, Yerin ended up running out the room in the middle of the night, crying. When asked what happened, she simply said, 'Jinsol says mommy and daddy are never coming back for me!', after which Madame Kim talked to Jinsol about this. Jinsol simply stated it was the truth, it shouldn't upset her and Yerin should just learn to face the facts. Madame Kim was shocked at how adult little Jinsol sounded. Jinsol didn't seem in the least bit phased with Yerin's cries. The kind-hearted, warm Jinsol always smiled and nodded kindly. She appeared at first glance to be the perfect child, always obedient and helpful, but darkness hid deep within Jinsol's dark eyes. Madame Kim made it clear that nobody bothers Jinsol and she would keep her room alone. Yerin forgave Jinsol shortly after and became somewhat of a friend to her. They never talked much, it was usually Jinsol just nodding and smiling at whatever Yerin had to say. A few years later at age 10, Yerin was adopted by a lovely couple that lived in the countryside with their golden retriever. Jinsol remained her lonely self and didn't interact with anyone anymore after that. She was helpful and kind and grew up beautifully. 

As she reached puberty, Madame Kim realized nobody would be likely to adopt her dear Jinsol. Having taken care of her all her life, she saw her as her own daughter in many ways. She had a deeper connection with Jinsol than with any of the other orphans she cared for. Jinsol couldn't connect with anyone. And giving off bad vibes, she was never picked. As she grew, so did her beauty and the darkness inside her. Madame Kim watched as even Jinsol's kindness faded. She never smiled anymore, didn't speak unless asked and spent most of her time staring out her bedroom window up at the sky. As Madame Kim would do her nightly rounds, she always found Jinsol awake, sitting on her windowsill, staring at the dark skies above. One couldn't help but wonder if she ever slept at all. Madame Kim sent her to school on her own costs, Jinsol was an exceptionally bright student. She always aced her tests and was envied by many fellow students. Though most just craved to be her friend. She was appropriately named 'Jinsol, the ice queen', as she seemed to lack emotion in everything she said and did. She performed exceptionally well in every field, except for the emotional and social one. She had no friends, she didn't need classmates to help her with homework, and she herself would never offer to help anyone. The teachers soon decided it would be best to let her do all school projects alone, as she would end up doing all the work in a group project anyway. Many admired her and wanted to figure her out. Girls and boys alike were mesmerized by her beauty and bright mind. But nobody could ever approach her, though they tried. She was confessed to multiple times and every time she simply walked away, expressionless. She was a mystery nobody could figure out. 

After high school, Madame Kim told her she could go to university if she wanted to, she would cover the expenses. The only condition was that Jinsol would live on her own for 1 year and get a hobby and job, to learn to socialize. She would then be able to enter university, being the same age as everyone else. Jinsol's smarts had led her to skip a year of high school, which caused her to be regarded as a freak afterward. Needless to say, Jinsol didn't seem to care. She agreed to Madame Kim's conditions immediately, as she always did. 

So this is how Jinsol finds herself back where she was used to being. Alone, in the dark. Her now long blonde hair, swaying in the wind softly, her pale skin glowing under the soft light of the crescent moon. It was close to 5 am, Jinsol would have to get ready for work in an hour. She didn't need much sleep. She usually napped during her break at work. She's been working at the book cafe for 2 months now, having moved into her apartment 3 months ago. Madame Kim found her a neat little studio apartment to stay at and told Jinsol about the book cafe. An old friend of Madame Kim's owns it and needed someone with knowledge for books, steady hands for the coffee making and a pleasant appearance to attract customers. Jinsol fit that description perfectly. Her beauty alone had people intrigued. They came in for Jinsol and stayed for the coffee and a good book. Jinsol never interacted with anyone. Her boss, Seungri, took the orders, which she prepared and handed to the customers. She would write book recommendations down on the chalkboard by the entrance every morning in her beautiful handwriting and the rest of the time would stand behind the counter, cleaning or reading a book, as she is not so subtly being admired by the customers.

Jinsol sighs, a puff of smoke blowing out of her mouth into the cold morning air. As the sun starts to rise, so does she. She enters her apartment to prepare herself for yet another dark meaningless day. Or so she expected it would be...


	2. Will you let me hide in your arms?

*Jinsol POV*

'Jinsol, could you please handle the orders for a moment? I need to make a call to the delivery company, we're running out of stock quickly. It's gotten so busy since you started working here.' My boss smiles at me sweetly, his eyes pleading with me softly. I simply nod and sigh, watching him run to the back office quickly. Since it was still very early in the morning, the cafe was quite empty. There were the usual few students coming in to get a refreshing cup of coffee before class and to gawk at me of course. I don't really care anymore, I'm so used to it. I just hope nobody will come up to order in the time my boss is in the back. I don't like talking to people, there's no use in making connections besides the ones I have with Madame Kim and my boss. Talking leads to relationships which lead to pain and suffering. 

I grab my worn-out copy of Edgar Allan Poe shorts, flipping straight to one of my favourites, 'The Masque of the Red Death'. It was a very familiar story to me. Even the mighty would suffer and fall if they came into contact with me. I am aware of this, and hence avoid people at all cost. My friendly and pretty looking face lures people in, but I never allow anyone to get close. I'm not lonely, it's simply necessary for me to be alone in this world. I don't feel the need to ever befriend anyone. I'm an acquaintance at most, one that doesn't talk much that is. The 2 students that were sitting in the corner get up and leave, but not before giggling to each other and glancing my way. The streets outside are empty too. I look at the grandfather clock in the corner near one of the bigger book racks, it's nearing 8 am.

We had a small number of customers coming in between 6:30 and 7:30 am usually. Most of those being students from the university nearby. Also the reason my boss decided to have the cafe open from 6:30 am to 12 and then again from 3 pm until midnight. It left us with a big lunch break and enough time to clean the place up and take inventory, as well as catering to the needs of university students who want to study here in the morning or late after class. At least once a week we would have the place open 24 hours, in which my boss would take the day shift and I would cover the night shift, I preferred it that way. It is 1 day a week I don't have to pretend to go to bed at night and the students that would come in to study during the night tend to not really care about social interaction. They tend to walk up to the counter to order, pay and then go sit down for a few hours surrounded by books. It makes it easier for me, I don't have to talk to them, and they get to study in peace.

I make use of this moment of quiet every morning by sitting in the cosy reading corner with my book, right next to the aquarium my boss installed after a month of me working here. He decided on it when he once saw me read a book about marine biology. He figured it would add an extra element of tranquillity to the book corner. He had all sorts of tropical fish in it and made the mistake of adding in a blue betta fish. Of course, the betta ended up hurting and eating some of the fish, at which point I explained to him that even though betta fish are exceptionally pleasing to the eye, they aren't meant to live with other fish. I took the betta out and he was currently in a smaller tank on the other side of the couch in the book corner. I wanted to take him home with me, but since I'm almost always working, I figured I should take care of him at the cafe. After all, he's already condemned to a life of loneliness, he should at least get some interaction. I relate to the little one a lot. I don't isolate myself from everyone, just enough that nobody gets close to me or gets hurt.

After 10 minutes my boss runs out from the backroom telling me he will quickly go to the bakery a few streets away, that delivers us our pastries, to sort out a miscommunication. I simply nod, knowing it won't take him too long and typically we wouldn't have any customers for another hour at least. Today turned out to not be so typical. 15 minutes after my boss's hasty departure, the bell chimes through the cafe, notifying me of a new customer. My boss and I only ever enter through the side door, as it was more convenient for staff. 

'Excuse me, is there anyone here?' I heard a unique and sweet voice call out. I close my book and quickly walk back to the front of the store. I see a beautiful girl with greyish blonde hair, wearing sunglasses, standing in front of the counter. There's a guide dog at her side. As I walk up to the counter she tilts her head in my direction. She takes off her sunglasses, her eyes a stunning brown, much like my own. Yet for some reason, it seems a million times more beautiful on her. I find myself staring at her, mesmerized by her beauty. I take a deep steadying breath, laying my hand on my chest, feeling my heart beat erratically. I must be going insane, this doesn't change anything. I don't know this girl, I've never seen her before. Even if she is the first person to ever make me feel this way, I won't break my rules. 

'Ehm.. excuse me, I can hear you but as you might be able to tell from Boris here, I can't exactly see. Do you work here?' She lays her hand on top of the fluffy golden retriever's head and softly smiles in my direction. I find the sides of my mouth curling up before I grimace again. It can't be helped, she can't see, I'll have to talk to her. She's the only person around. At least the customers that have tried to ask me out and get me to talk aren't here to take advantage of the situation. I clear my throat and walk up beside her, my breath hitches as she turns her entire body towards me and smiles expectantly. 

'H-Hello... My name is Jinsol, welcome to the Loona cafe, I do work here. Ehm, how can I help you, miss?' I cough after making a fool of myself by stuttering and find myself blushing as the girl's smile grows and she giggles softly. 'Well, thank you Jinsol. My name is Jungeun, and this here is Boris as I mentioned earlier.' She pets her dog's head and I nod before realizing she can't see me. I bend down to pet Boris and clear my throat once again, 'Nice to meet you, Boris.'. As I stand back up and retract my hand, Jungeun gently grabs it and steps closer, making me gasp softly and look her right in the eye.

'I'm sorry to startle you, Jinsol. But I can tell we're alone and you seem kind enough. Usually, people would have asked a million questions already about my sight and Boris, or show pity in some way. I didn't get that from you, thank you.' She runs her thumb over the back of my hand and I lean away slightly, to calm my heart and take a quick breath. 'I just moved here recently and people already seem to want to get too involved in my business. My mother is constantly calling me, worried about me, and actually is running around right now trying to find me. Boris dragged me in here, I suppose he got tired. My question is, could we hide here for a while? I'll buy a coffee and won't cause any problems. But could you please lie to my mother if she comes here? Tell her you didn't see me?' Her eyes are big and pleading, and I find myself squeezing her hand gently. She blinks and grabs a smartphone from her pocket, swiping across the screen until she comes up with a caller ID image, she turns the phone to me. 'This lady is my mother. Just so you can recognize her.' Looking closer at the photo I can see the resemblance with Jungeun. I nod to myself and take a deep breath.

'Ok. Come.' I'm trying to keep talking to a minimum, but I can't help but want to come to Jungeun's rescue. I gently tug at her hand, leading her to the back reading corner, next to the aquariums. I lead her to the spot on the couch I had previously occupied and helped her sit. Boris slides to lay down on the floor contently. She smiles sweetly, her eyes shining with gratitude. 'Thank you, Jinsol. We don't know each other, but I feel like we could be friends. Even though you seem quite shy.' I smile to myself. If only she knew how far from 'kind' I really am. But I suppose to her, I was being kind. For her, maybe I broke my rules a little bit. Just this once wouldn't hurt. I won't befriend her of course, I most likely won't see her again after today. Just this once, I'll be kind.

'Drink?' I attempt to keep conversation to a minimum, only the necessities. She chuckles, and I swear I felt my heart skip a beat right then. She nods and runs a hand through her long grey locks. 'Do you serve hot chocolate perhaps?' I nod and walk away, not bothering to answer. I hear a soft chuckle behind me as I walk to the front of the store to get her hot chocolate. Just then, my boss walks in with some papers. 

'Ah, Jinsol! I fixed the issue, we should get our deliveries tomorrow morning, would you mind coming in and helping Vivi? I know you have the night shift as it'll be Sunday night, but it would help a lot.'. I nod and continue making the hot chocolate for Jungeun. 'Thanks a lot, Jinsol! You're a lifesaver! I'll be in the back until 9 am. You know we don't get customers in before that anyway.' He walks away and I softly hum to myself as I make sure to add some cinnamon to Jungeun's hot chocolate. It was a chilly day and I'm sure she could use something soothing after running away from her mother all morning. Wait... Why am I even trying to help her? Just the bare minimum Jinsol, don't do anything stupid. Yet. I find myself gently adding the cinnamon and forming a heart shape on top of the chocolate milk with cream. I shake my head and start walking back to Jungeun with her drink.

I suppose I won't be sleeping as much tomorrow morning as usual. I don't mind coming in to help or do extra shifts. I don't need much sleep and Vivi isn't the worst to work with. She's a university student that helps during the day shift on our 24hour openings. That way my boss feels better about me having the night shift alone. Vivi never tries to speak to me, simply nods and smiles. It's simple between us. Acquaintances, coworkers. 

'It's hot.' I feel the need to remind Jungeun as I set her order down on the table beside her. She smiles and nods. 'That's what one might expect when ordering a hot chocolate, Jinsol. Thank you.' She smirks and I can't help but chuckle softly. She turns her head to me and smiles again. 'You sound cute when you chuckle. You should do it more often. I don't know why, but I feel like you don't usually...' I blush at her compliment and look down at my feet. 'T...Thank you.' Jungeun reaches for her mug, struggling for a moment to find its exact location before gently holding it in both hands and sniffing it. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before taking a small sip. 

'Jinsol, I think this may be the best hot chocolate I've ever had!' She excitedly exclaims before happily drinking more. I can't help but smile at her cute antics. This girl is really making me feel everything I've been keeping locked away for years, in the span of 15 minutes. As I hear the bell chime again, I am rudely brought back to reality and quickly step towards the front again. 

'Hi, excuse me. Have you seen my daughter, she's a bit shorter than you, greyish hair and there should be a golden retriever with her, her guide dog.' Jungeun's mother wore a worried and tired expression on her face, but I wasn't fazed. I simply shook my head, remaining expressionless. 

'Are you sure?' I nod and shrug. 'Okay, thanks anyway I suppose..' As Jungeun's mother leaves, looking defeated, I hear a set of paws and feet walk up behind me.

'Thank you, Jinsol. I really appreciate it.' I feel her walk up close behind me and tentatively wrap her arms around my waist. I tense up and take a deep breath to steady myself. 'You...You're welcome...Jungeun..' I feel her slowly remove her arms and take another step to stand beside me. I look to my side to see her staring straight ahead, a somewhat determined look on her face. 'I like the way you say my name, Jinsol. I'll be sure to hear it more often.' I can't help but gasp and blush at her words. I simply stand there dumbfounded, staring at this angel that appeared so suddenly, yet feels like she will not leave anytime soon.

'I'll be sure to visit you again. You have the night shift tomorrow, right? Maybe I should stop by for another hot chocolate. Which reminds me, how much do I owe you?' She reaches into her pocket for what I assume is her wallet. Something comes over me and I find myself quickly stopping her, holding her by the wrist. 'No. It's on me.' I'm confused at the words leaving my lips. Never would I dare to show such blatant generosity and kindness to anyone in my life. But I quickly lose my train of thought as Jungeun turns and smiles at me. I feel her grab my hand that's still holding her wrist and she gently removes my grip. A soft blush spreads across her cheeks as she raises our hands to give a soft kiss upon my knuckles. I'm pretty sure my heart simply stopped beating. I must look so red right now... What is this girl doing to me? I don't understand anymore... She releases my hand and steps towards the door, Boris leading her gently. Before she leaves she puts her sunglasses back on and calls out to me.

'Jinsol, I hope to be able to see you tomorrow..'

She swiftly walks out behind Boris and I find myself confused. The way she said 'see' made me think she really meant actually seeing me tomorrow. But she's blind, how could she? Even after cleaning and having customers come in again, with my boss taking orders and me serving drinks, I keep thinking of beautiful brown eyes, hot chocolate, and a gentle smile. For the first time, I find myself working with a soft and content smile on my face. Needless to say, we had more orders and customers that day than my boss knew how to keep up with.

*Nobody POV*

That night, Jinsol found herself staring out her bedroom window again. Soft mumbles leaving her mouth, a genuine smile on her face. 

'Jungeun, I also hope to see you tomorrow night...'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy!


	3. Clear vision

*Nobody POV*

Jinsol didn't sleep much that night and simply laid around... She had to rest to be able to stay up all night for her shift at the cafe. Thoughts of the girl that visited the cafe last night keep running through her mind. Jungeun had entered Jinsol's life so suddenly, yet made such a large impact on her in their short time spent together. In the span of 30 minutes, she lost her heart to the blind girl. Though Jinsol hadn't realised this yet. Or, to be more exact, didn't allow herself to think that way.

As the alarm goes off on her phone, indicating it's time for her to go help Vivi handle the pastry delivery, Jinsol jumps up. She had been so deep in thought about a certain grey-haired girl, that she completely lost track of her environment. A blush is visible on her cheeks as she turns off the alarm and quickly runs to the bathroom to shower and get dressed.

*Jinsol POV*

As I wasn't officially going in to work, I felt no need to wear my typical work outfit consisting of black dress pants and a white blouse. We had to wear the blue apron with the cafe logo on it over that. I instead opted for a pair of jeans and an oversized dark blue sweater. It was rather chilly out this morning, as the sun hasn't come to greet us yet either, the streets were covered in mist and darkness. I pull the hood over my head to keep me warm and hide my face from the few people walking the streets at this early time of day. I briskly walk towards the cafe and find myself at the side door at exactly 5 am. Vivi should be here already.

I turn the doorknob to find the door indeed unlocked and walk in to see Vivi in her work uniform. She smiles at me and waves. 'Good morning, Jinsol! The baker is on the way with the delivery, he just called me. He should be here any moment now. Thank you for coming in so early to help. Will you be okay for the night shift tonight?' She walks up to me and I nod softly. This was the most Vivi would talk to me. She knew there was no point to attempt to start a conversation with me. It was better to keep our relationship strictly professional. A car horn is heard outside. That must be the baker. Vivi walks out first and I prop the side door open with the designated piece of wood. We start moving the boxes in as fast as possible so we can set the displays up for the morning shift.

*Jungeun POV*

*beep beep* I reach for my phone on my nightstand and quickly turn off the alarm. I throw the covers off of my face and open my eyes. It hurts as my eyes adjust to the light. My vision has returned again, though it's still a bit blurry. Why am I not ecstatic because I can suddenly see? Because I'm used to it.

When I was 3 years old, I got a brain tumour that attached itself closely to the nerves controlling my eyesight. I would experience temporary blindness until eventually the tumour was safely removed in a surgery. My mother told me I had recovered for a short while, until one day in class when I lost my eyesight again. One of the other children in my class had stolen my favourite teddy bear and I got so upset I cried until my mother came to pick me up. When she did, she noticed I wasn't walking properly and didn't react to much visually. I just stared ahead dumbfounded. The doctors said the tumour had damaged my optical nerves in a way that stress and anxiety would cause a sort of sensory overload, leading to the temporary blindness. It could last anywhere from only an hour to a full day. It depended on the severity of the stress and anxiety, and the amount of rest I could get after. My mother got me, Boris, shortly after, he went everywhere I went, whether I had my vision or not. Most of the time Boris could stop me from getting upset, preventing a sudden attack of blindness. But there were times he couldn't, after which he simply guided me. Boris is my best friend, I don't have many friends in general. After the trauma of her only child having a brain tumour, and after recovering, finding out she would have to deal with her vision coming and going for probably the rest of her life, my mother became overprotective. She decided I should be homeschooled, to eliminate the possibility of stress or anxiety to a certain extent. I was still allowed to have hobbies, but only ones that would be safe for me to do even if I suddenly lost my vision. And so I learned how to rely on my other senses. I was given music and singing lessons, quickly picking up the guitar and piano along the way. My teacher, Soyou, thought I was very talented and had a unique voice. I would accompany her in performances with a small group of children my age. That was the most social interaction I was able to get for a long while.

I turned 16 just a few months ago, and my mother decided to move to this new city. I was excited, hoping that maybe I could finally have a new start. Be known as more than the girl with the vision problems. My doctors saw a deterioration in my condition. My moments of blindness would now last up to as much as a week. It was becoming more difficult for me to calm myself. The constant stress of my mother being overbearing, and closing me off from the rest of the world, was becoming too much. After we moved, she didn't allow me to explore the town. I just wanted to go find a park I could sit in and enjoy fresh air with Boris but my mother wouldn't allow it. She told me she needed to explore the town first and find out where I could safely go. I ran off multiple times on my own after that, easily being able to pick the lock after years of practice. I would often pick the lock just to go sing at the park near our old house at night. Eventually, my mother gave up on locking me in and allowed me to visit the park in the evening, as long as I came back home before 10 pm.

Yesterday I couldn't sleep and wandered off before my mother even woke up for work. She quickly found out and started calling me numerous times, texting me that she's looking for me, and worried and that I need to come back. I had lost my vision the night before that because of a panic attack. My mother and I got into a fight and my system couldn't take it anymore. She was worried I would fall or get hurt by someone, even though I was very capable of going around blind, especially with Boris by my side. At some point, I felt Boris tug me into what smelled like a cafe. I sensed someone was there but couldn't quite make it out. My answer came in the form of Jinsol. Her name makes me smile just thinking about it.

I jump out of bed happily and hug Boris, who was laying on the floor beside my bed. 'Good morning, buddy! My vision returned so quickly this time! I guess I really will be able to see Jinsol today!' Boris barks at me happily and I rough up his fur as I pass him to get ready for the day. My mother should be at work already and told me last night after yet another argument that she'd come home at 8 pm. She told me she expects me to be home at that time and not wandering off somewhere, especially with my eyesight gone. She doesn't know I woke up refreshed and with my vision getting clearer by the second. I can't help but think maybe Jinsol had something to do with my quick recovery this time around. Not even the argument last night with my mother could sour my mood, which seemed to further annoy her as I simply smiled to myself, letting her yell her heart out. 

After showering and getting dressed in a pair of black ripped jeans and my favourite red sweater, I check my phone quickly and turn off the voice help. I wouldn't need it for now at least. It's nearly noon now, and my stomach growls just as I notice Boris moving towards the hallway whining softly. 

'Alright, alright. Let's get the both of us some brunch shall we?' I run downstairs with Boris following closely behind and put his guide dog patch in my backpack together with my wallet and phone. If something happens and he needs to be recognised as a guide dog again, I can put the patch back on his harness. But for now, we get to just be normal for a little while longer, in a town that doesn't know us yet. I grab his leash and put it on him before swiftly taking some tools out of my backpack to pick the lock. As I step out I take a deep breath and look around smiling. We moved to a nice looking neighbourhood, everyone walking around looking busy but content. Quite the opposite from my hometown, where everyone frowned and seemed to have trouble with the concept of simply greeting each other. 

I set out with Boris to a pancake house I remember eating at last week when I had run off to explore. As I enter, I am greeted by a girl a few years older than me and she smiles kindly. 'Hello, and welcome to our humble establishment. My name is Haseul. You can sit anywhere you like and just wave when you're ready to order.' I nod and smile back as I go to sit by the window at a table meant for 2. Boris settles under the table between my legs. 'Excuse me! Miss Haseul?' I wave at the girl as she walks from another customer to my table holding a notepad and pen. She smiles at me and glances down at Boris briefly. 

'What can I get for you today, miss?' Her tone is cheerful and warm. She seems like the kind of person anyone could befriend, the caring type. 

'Could I have the deluxe brunch deal for 1, please? And is there a possibility of getting a bowl of water for my dog?' I ask tentatively. In my hometown, they would often make a fuzz over Boris being inside restaurants and always asked to see his certificate. So far I haven't seen many ''No dogs allowed''-signs around here though.

'Of course, would you like that with orange juice or coffee? And as for your furry little friend here, one of my co-workers brings her dog in to stay at the office in the back sometimes. I'm sure we can use her bowl.' She bends down to pet Boris softly and then looks at me expectantly. 

'Thank you so much. Just orange juice, please. Coffee isn't really my thing.' I'm more of a hot chocolate kind of girl. I was tempted to ask for hot chocolate but felt like nothing could even come close to the heartwarming beverage I was served by the one named Jinsol yesterday. As Haseul nods and walks away, I find a blush creeping its way up to my cheeks thinking about Jinsol. Her voice had been so soft and her words so cold. But there was a hidden warmth behind them, that much I could tell. Over the years I became very good at recognising true emotions behind people's voice. A skill that's very helpful both with and without vision.

***

After brunch, I stop by my house again to feed Boris and grab a scarf. I'd be out late tonight at the cafe, hopefully with Jinsol and it had gotten chillier lately. As we walk back out into town, I can't help but hum softly to myself. In a few hours, I get to see Jinsol. I get to really see her. I wonder if she's as beautiful as her voice is. I think back to how soft her hand felt in mine. The scent of coffee and cinnamon mixed with rose shampoo coming from her hair. I had to stop myself when I hugged her yesterday, her smell was so enticing that I just wanted to stay like that forever. I wonder if her smile is as vibrant and cute as her chuckle had been. Jungeun, you've got it bad. You're crushing on a girl you only met once. A girl you've never seen before at that.

*Nobody POV*

Jungeun ends up sitting at the edge of the river running through town, with Boris by her side to keep her warm and safe. She watches as time passes and gradually the air grows colder. At 6 pm, Jungeun gets up and stretches looking over the water. Boris barks next to her and she grabs his leash and tugs him along. 

She wanders around town, not quite remembering where the cafe is. And as smart as Boris is, he can't speak or actually understand her so she just walked around. After walking around for 20 minutes, she sees a group of 3 male students huddled together, walking by towards a cafe in the distance. Jungeun couldn't help but overhear their rather loud conversation. 

'Are you actually going to try to ask her out again dude? It's useless, man. She has not spoken a word since she started working there. She doesn't even speak to her own boss.' One of the other boys, sporting a football jersey, shrugs and laughs. 'She'll have to give into my charm someday right?' Jungeun takes a step closer as the boys stop a few meters away from her. The boy in the jersey puffs up his chest and shouts at his friends, 'Jinsol, I will make you talk to me today! You can't play hard to get forever!'. At hearing Jinsol's name, Jungeun gasps. She looks up to see the boys walk into a cafe called 'Loona Cafe' and swiftly follows behind them. She's intrigued at hearing Jinsol never spoke to anyone. And her heart and face warm at the memory of hearing Jinsol say her name only the night before, on their first meeting. Jungeun felt special. But then that warmth was quickly replaced by anger as she remembered that guy arrogantly speaking about Jinsol. She quickly opens the cafe door to find the 3 boys leaning over the counter talking rudely to someone. To what had to be, her Jinsol.


	4. At first sight

*Jinsol POV*

I press my palms into my temples as another wave of pain hits my head. I didn't sleep after helping Vivi at the shop. I simply couldn't sleep, I ended up sitting on my rooftop all day with a thermos of hot chocolate and my favourite cinnamon cookies. I usually would have coffee but since my mind kept wandering off to Jungeun and how happy she looked drinking my chocolate milk, I found myself filling the thermos with hot chocolate. 

Walking into work an hour ago, I waved at Vivi and my boss as they left. Boss said he'd be back at 5 am to clean up and take over. I simply nodded and grabbed my apron from the back. The student rush started around 6 pm. It's 6:30 pm now and I was just able to catch a short break. The cafe was half full of students and some workers seeking a soothing cup of coffee after work. I drink some water and frown at the headache. I wish I had brought some pain medication. 

*ding* There goes the door again. I really should've just taken a sleeping pill today instead of daydream about my angel, Jungeun. I can't help but smile at the thought of her, but that smile is quickly wiped off my face as I see my least favourite regular and his entourage enter the cafe.

'Hey there, Jinsol! Looking beautiful as ever I see!' He smirks and puffs his chest in a useless attempt to look handsome. I simply frowned and silently waited at the counter for them to order. They walk closer and his 2 goons chuckle as they pat him on the back. 

'Come on, you're gonna play the silent card again? Still trying to deny yourself from my charms.' He leans on the counter, trying to get closer to me. I lean away and stare at him unphased. 

'How about we go on a date tomorrow? I know for a fact you won't have to work since you have the night shift today. It'll be fun, don't worry. I'll definitely take good care of you.' He grins and I swear I'm about ready to puke all over him. He's been harassing me at work, especially during the night shift, ever since I started working here. He's very persistent and won't give up. I even refused to serve him numerous times but all he does is sit there staring at me until my boss forces him to buy something or leave. 

I take a deep breath and look over his shoulder to see if any customers needed me. With how cocky he was acting tonight, I wasn't expecting him to order. He would most likely just follow me around and keep trying to make me talk. I notice one of the students near the entrance raises their hand, holding up a refill card. My boss had the refill cards made as a way for customers that were busy working or studying to ask for a refill without having to come up to the counter. I start to move away from the counter to go pick up the customer's cup so I can remake his order. As I step around the counter and make a move to pass by mister persistent and his goons, I feel someone roughly grab my wrist.

'YOU WON'T IGNORE ME TONIGHT!'

*Nobody POV*

As Jinsol attempts to move past the boys, their leader grabs her wrist roughly and pulls her back, yelling at her. 'YOU WON'T IGNORE ME TONIGHT!' 

At just that moment, Jungeun had stepped into the cafe and looked ready to explode. Her eyes were wide and filled with rage. How dare someone touch HER Jinsol. Jinsol's eyes widened as she looked at her annoying stalker and tried to remove her hand from his grip. The other customers in the store looked up after hearing him scream and were watching the scene unfold. 

'Come on, you know you want me. I can make you feel real good. You're gorgeous, I'm handsome, give me one reason we shouldn't be together?' As he says this he tries to caress Jinsol's sharp jaw as she turns her head in disgust.

'I suggest you get your filthy paws off of her before I remove them for you.' A soft yet clear and determined voice sounds through the cafe. Jungeun steps closer as the words leave her mouth, her gaze fixed on Jinsol's wrist. His grip was tightening and Jungeun was angered at the thought of him leaving bruises. 

'And who might you be? Don't worry princess, leave us alone and mind your own business.' He laughs Jungeun's interruption off and turns back to Jinsol with a sinister smile on his face. 

'Maybe it's not so bad you don't talk, might come in handy.' 

Jinsol's eyes widen in fear and she tries to step back only to find herself trapped between him and the counter. At this point, Jungeun's last drop of self-control was thrown out the window.

*Jungeun POV*

How dare that swine?! Who does he think he is?! After stepping in to find him grabbing Jinsol's wrist, my vision turned red. I zoned in on where his hand was hurting her beautiful pale skin and suddenly nothing else mattered. 

I see only his back as he traps Jinsol against the counter and I've had enough. I rush forward and kick him in the back of the knee with as much force as I could muster, watching him fall down in pain.

'AAAA, what the hell!?' He looks up at me as I grab his hand that's still clinging to Jinsol. 

'I told you to get your filthy paws the hell off of her, you dirty pig!' I yell at him, seething with rage as I roughly twist his arm to force him to let go of my Jinsol.

He quickly lets go of her and I gently grab her hand and pull her behind me. I feel her squeeze my hand and lean into my back, hiding while gripping on to the back of my sweater.

'Who the hell are you? This is none of your business! Jinsol, tell this bitch that you're going on a date with me, and she should leave!' He looks me straight in the eye as he says this. I stare right back, determined to protect Jinsol at all costs. The 2 guys behind him, whom I assume are his friends, stand by his sides looking smug and cracking their knuckles. I have a feeling this might turn into a physical fight if he doesn't back down now. I tense my free hand and crack my neck, looking at him with my best smirk.

'Come on boys, be smart and just leave. There's no need to start a fight. I wouldn't want to have to call an ambulance.' 

The boys look at each other and chuckle, their leader rolls his shoulders and gets into a fighting stance. I scoff at myself. These idiots are really about to fight a black belt in mixed martial arts? 

I wait for them to make the first move, I would never attack first. It's all about self-defence. He takes a step closer and I push Jinsol further back, away from me.

'Okay princess, you really want to get your ass kicked? Last chance. Jinsol, tell your overprotective friend here to leave and give me your number so I can pick you up for our date tomorrow.'

A big smile is plastered on his face and I feel Jinsol squeeze my hand behind me. I squeeze her trembling hand back and let go to step closer to him. I look up to stare him straight in the eyes.

At this point, I've noticed most of the customers have left, probably trying to avoid getting caught in the fight. Such cowards.

I smile at him cockily and raise an eyebrow expectantly. 'You won't be taking Jinsol anywhere, buddy. Now, I'll take my chances, have a go at me big boy.'

*Jinsol POV*

I stand frozen behind Jungeun. She's challenging this college student that's most likely a football player right in front of me. She's exuding confidence and I don't know why, but I feel safe and I trust her. When I saw her come in and save me, I knew this would end well. I hope she's not all talk. I don't want to see her hurt. Her hand felt soft in mine just moments ago, her small frame in front of me, like a bodyguard. I stare at her in awe as she crosses her arms and sticks out her hip leaning on one leg. She looks gorgeous from the back, her figure is amazing. I feel a blush creep up my cheeks and shake my head. I clench my fists in a useless attempt to stop the tremors going through my body. I'm scared, I may act cold and unaffected. But I get scared. I'm only human.

'Hey, bro. We're not gonna beat up a girl, are we?' His goons look nervous behind him. It seems they have more decency than he does. They take a few steps back.

'I'm just gonna teach this little lady a lesson.' He smiles and I feel my heart drop to my stomach. I trust Jungeun, but he's a big guy and could easily overpower her. Why is she so damn confident?

He pushes forward and swings at her with his big arm. I can't watch this. I look down and cover my eyes, shaking on my feet. 

'Argh!' I hear him scream in pain followed by a soft familiar chuckle. I dare to uncover my eyes and look at the scene in front of me.

'Is that all? You're a disgrace. Now leave this place, before I break more than just your finger.' Jungeun is towering over him. He's sitting on the floor, holding his wrist. His index finger is twisted in an unnatural way. I look at the back of Jungeun's head in awe and shock.

*Jungeun POV*

I look down at my work. His finger is nicely broken in a straight angle. He was so dumb to swing at me so obviously. It was so easy to block and turn his wrist. And him trying to get out of my grip and kick me just made me want to teach him a lesson. Breaking his finger is the mildest punishment I could think of. He stares at his finger, tears spilling over his cheeks. Broken fingers hurt, but not that bad. As I thought, he acts all tough but can't back it up.

His goons rush forward to pick him up but he doesn't seem to get the message yet.

'HOW DARE YOU?!' He screams as he stands up and grabs me by the collar with his good hand. I'm unphased, though slightly bothered by the 4 litres of cologne this guy seems to have on. I'm honestly done with playing nice at this point and twist his hand, dropping him onto his knees.

'You're testing my patience. Maybe I should break your arm instead of just a finger? Would you get the point then?' I grit my teeth and tighten my grip on his wrist. I pull back my other arm, ready to bring it down and obliterate his elbow.

'JUNGEUN NO!' The voice of an angel rings through the cafe, followed by my raised fist being gently brought down by a soft hand. I feel Jinsol push herself against my back, hiding her face in my hair. My breath hitches at her close proximity, and I feel the rage quickly subside within me. I take a deep breath and am ready to let go of his arm when he just had to open his damn mouth again.

'YOU SPEAK? TO THIS BITCH?! Now that I've heard your voice, I know you can agree to be mine!' I'm ready to twist his arm further when I feel warm breathing by my ear.

'Please, Jungeun. He's not worth it. Please, no violence.' Jinsol's voice feels like velvet, so deep and smooth. My heart melts and I release him, roughly pushing him away from us.

I look at his goons and sigh. 'Do us all a favour and collect your idiotic friend, please? Take him away before I really lose it.'

They nod and start dragging him out, ignoring his protests and wild movements. I tense and as my adrenaline levels drop, my eyes and head start stinging. Come on, not now. I haven't even seen Jinsol yet. I was too busy trying to protect her and focused on her wrist that I haven't even seen her face yet. 

I hunch over in pain and feel Jinsol move with me and wrap an arm around my waist to steady me. I blink, trying to clear my head but to no avail. The familiar black edge starts to form in my vision again and I close my eyes, waiting for the stinging to stop.

'Jungeun, what's wrong? Please be okay.' Her velvety voice whispers into my ear, she sounds worried and maybe scared even. I feel her pull me closer to her and move me. I'm suddenly seated in what smells like the couch from yesterday. I feel her sit next to me and put her warm hands on my face. I dare to open my eyes, knowing my vision should be gone by now, the stinging having stopped. 

 

 

*Nobody POV*

As Jinsol gently rubs her thumbs over Jungeun's cheeks, she inches closer to her. Their faces are only a breath apart. Jinsol is worried, Jungeun wasn't reacting and hadn't opened her eyes either. Her eyes dart over Jungeun's features in a desperate attempt to figure out what's going on with her guardian angel. Jungeun's eyes flutter open, and a soft gasp escapes from her lips as she sees Jinsol for the first time, up close.

 

 

*Jinsol POV*

She opens her eyes and gasps. I move my face back a bit and gently run my hand down her cheek and jaw to let it rest at the base of her neck, my other hand carefully cupping her cheek. The look in her eyes changed. She was so confident and enraged earlier. And now all I see is fragility and, awe? She looks at me in pure awe.

'Jungeun? I...' She looks at me, really looks at me as if she can see me?! My eyes widen in surprise as she reaches up to cup my jaw and run her thumb over my bottom lip. I immediately feel my face heat up and my heart beat quicken. Her touch is so soft and gentle. I get lost in her eyes. Beautiful brown orbs staring back at me in, what almost looks like, pure adoration. She smiles softly as tears threaten to suddenly spill from her eyes. Her hand drops from my face and she turns her head to wipe away her tears and hide her beautiful face from me.

'Jungeun, I don't understand. What's going on? Why are you suddenly crying?' I keep my voice to a soft whisper, not wanting anyone else to hear me. There was nobody in the book corner right now, but I didn't want to risk it. I quickly look behind me towards the front of the store to find only 2 students still in their spots. Everyone else must have left after the fight. I turn my head back to her at the sound of her soft and shaky voice.

'You're gorgeous.' I stare at her wide-eyed as she looks at me with a soft smile on her lips. She reaches forward yet again and puts a lock of blonde hair behind my ear before cupping my jaw again.

'You're simply gorgeous, a goddess walking among us humans. Beautiful blonde locks to frame a soft pale face with a sharp-edged jaw. Beautiful big brown eyes to make my heart flutter with just one look and ...' She looks down at my lips and blushes softly. I can't help but smile and blush at her words before shaking my head in confusion.

'Wait, how..' She chuckles and my heart melts. It's easily the happiest sound I've heard in my life. 

'How can I see you? When just yesterday, I entered here, blind?' She tilts her head, looking amused as I nod confused.

'I suffer from chronic bursts of sudden blindness caused by stress. I had a brain tumour as a child and it left permanent damage. If I get stressed, physically or mentally, it tends to lead to sudden blindness for me. It can last anywhere between 3 minutes to a week. Though honestly the past year the episodes have been closer to a week than a minute. I had been in an episode yesterday yet somehow got out of it this morning already.' She pauses and takes a deep breath. I blink, trying to understand all the information she's giving me. Sudden blindness? My heart breaks for her. I wish she didn't have to suffer like this. I put my hand over the one she has on my jaw and gently squeeze, trying to encourage her to keep talking.

'When I realised that you were the hot barista they were talking about, I couldn't stand by and do nothing. This rage came over me and I found myself only able to think about protecting you at all cost. After they left and the adrenaline left me too, I felt a headache come up. Before an episode, I tend to get a splitting migraine-like headache and my eyes sting. My vision gets blurry and dark spots appear until my eyesight is entirely gone.'

I nod and frown in confusion. 'Then why? Why can you see me now?' My voice sounds hesitant, as I don't want to say the wrong thing. Here I go again. caring about her so easily. I can't control myself around this girl.

'I'm not sure. Usually, Boris detects when I start getting stressed and tries to stop it from happening. He used to be easily able to when I was younger. Lately, he drags me out of the situation usually and guides me when I end up having an episode regardless.' She looks at me confused and I tilt my head at her.

'Wait, where is Boris? Did you come without him?' I softly ask her and she smiles, her eyes sparkling with something I can't quite understand. She looks past me and I turn to look behind me at the front of the shop. There he was. Boris was sitting right by the door, calmly looking at us. I turn back to Jungeun in confusion. He's here? Then why didn't he stop her, or try to get her out of here?

'Boris is trained very well and has been with me since I was very young. He's my best friend and probably knows me better than anyone, even my doctors and mother.' She snaps her finger and I hear paws walk up to us. I turn to him and he sits in front of me, looking me in the eye with his big brown eyes. Jungeun lays her hand on top of his head.

'For the first year of episodes, my mother was able to calm me. If my mother was near. Boris would not intervene. He would sit back, knowing I was safe with her and there was no risk of me falling into an episode. He wasn't able to take a rest and do that since then. Nobody but him has been able to help me through the episodes. And not even he can prevent them anymore, let alone stop one that's already starting.'

I look at her in shock. Was she trying to say Boris felt she wasn't at risk because of me?! That's ridiculous, we barely know each other. Yes, I felt like I could really be myself around this girl. I can talk to her and find myself feeling safe around her. But for me to be the first person to stop an episode of hers?

She kisses my cheek and pulls back to look me in the eye.

'Boris stayed back because he trusted in your ability to help me. And you proved him right. I trust Boris with my life every single day. He's always right. Thank you.'

I tear up looking at her. I really helped her? I actually did something good?

Her eyes soften even more if that's even possible. She pulls me close to her and hugs me tightly. I tense before relaxing into her, burying my face against her shoulder. She smells like chocolate and strawberries. I inhale deeply and steady myself, hugging her back tightly. I feel her run a hand through my hair. My heart skips a beat and I blush as I realise how close we are.

I feel like with Jungeun, I might end up breaking all my rules.

*ding*

*Jungeun POV*

As I hold Jinsol in my arms and run my hand through her soft golden locks, I find myself smiling widely. I was already smitten with her at our first meeting only yesterday. And today further confirmed my feelings. I like this girl, I care for her. And I can tell there's a lot more to her than everyone sees and thinks. She's not just a pretty face, but if I'm honest, she really is gorgeous. A bell brings me out of my thoughts. Jinsol quickly raises her head and gives me an apologetic smile.

'C...Customer..' Her stuttering is back, it's endearing. I nod softly and help the both of us get up. I hold her hand and smile at her. I'll stick with her tonight to prevent something like earlier from happening again.

'I'll accompany you, Jinsol.' 

She nods and turns her head before walking towards the counter, still holding my hand. Her hair covers her face, but I still manage to see a soft smile and blush appear on her cheeks before her neutral face takes over. I could get used to her only showing that side of her to me. My angel, save your smiles for me. And I will give you my heart in return.

As I lean against the counter with Boris at my feet to watch her work, my heart skips a beat. As the customer walks away after placing his order and paying, she turns to prepare his drink. As she turns and notices me, she winks playfully and smiles before turning fully towards the coffee machine.

My face heats up and I bring both of my hands up to cup my cheeks while smiling like a fool.

I am a fool tonight. And after finding Jinsol, I don't think I mind.

*Nobody POV*

Not many customers visit the cafe after that. And very quickly the 2 end up alone in the book corner. A cup of hot chocolate steaming up the air in their hands, a smile on their faces, their gaze on the aquarium beside them.

Jinsol is the one to break the silence.

'Jungeun, do you know about blue bettas?'

Jungeun smiles and shakes her head. She turns to Jinsol after putting her cup down, leaning her arm on the couch behind her to lean her head on. Her full attention is given to Jinsol and Boris lays down at Jinsol's feet, slowly dozing off.

'I don't. Tell me about them, please! I love fish!'

Jungeun loves fish, she really does. So much so that she read up a lot about them. She owned a book on betta fish and how to care for them. But she wouldn't tell Jinsol that..yet. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was a whole ordeal, been writing quite some time. Yet more story keeps falling out of my brain and onto this website. Stay tuned for more!
> 
> Feedback is always appreciated and you can contact me on @Ghostwritemyli1 on Twitter with questions about the story or requests for another story!


	5. In each other's arms

*Jinsol POV*

We've been chatting for hours now, it's nearly midnight. I told Jungeun about the blue betta in the aquarium next to us. She seemed so amused and interested. For once, I didn't mind talking so much. My heart felt at ease around her, even though she was also the cause for it beating erratically from time to time. 

'Jinsol? Can I ask you something?' Her soft voice pulls me out of my thoughts and I smile at her and nod.

'You don't speak to others, right? So... Why did you speak to me yesterday and today? I'm most likely not the first blind girl you have seen. And you even spoke in front of those jerks and the other customers just to stop me from beating him up...' She bites her lip and looks at me carefully. I can't help but feel the need to pull her lip away from her teeth, so she doesn't draw blood.

So that's exactly what I do. I can't control myself around this girl at all. I reach forward and gently pull her lip from between her teeth with my thumb. I slowly rub my thumb along her soft bottom lip and look her in the eye. Her breath hitches and she looks up at me wide-eyed. This girl is too stunning and cute for words.

'If I'm honest, I don't have a clue.' She releases a shaky breath I didn't realize she had been holding and I move my hand to play with a loose strand of her grey hair.

'I haven't spoken to people in a very long time. It was never necessary, I always found ways to make myself clear. I don't call people, I text if I need to. Not many people have my number anyway.' I clear my throat as Jungeun stares at me with big sad eyes. I smile at her reassuringly.

'Yet when you came in yesterday. I don't know what came over me. Something changed. You're right, I've met blind people before. If they needed help, I provided them in silence or brought them to someone that could help better. But with you, I simply couldn't bring myself to. I guess it was something about the way you looked at me. Something in your eyes..'

She blushes but bravely leans closer to me, our eyes meet and I gasp, she really takes my breath away.

'Something in my eyes? That's quite amusing considering I couldn't see yesterday.' She chuckles and kisses my nose before leaning back and tilting her head with a wide smile on her lips. I release the breath I had been holding and chuckle at her bold actions. This girl is going to be the death of me. But I don't think I mind.

*Nobody POV*

'I'm glad you found whatever it is you found in my eyes. Honestly, I don't think I would've behaved much better than that jerk earlier if you had given me the cold shoulder. Even before seeing you properly, something pulled me towards you. Your scent, your soft velvety voice. The way your hand fits in mine so softly...' 

Jungeun gently grabs Jinsol's hand and traces patterns on her palm. Jinsol smiles at their hands and looks up at Jungeun with admiration.

'You're truly amazing. I have no regrets in breaking my rules and talking to you yesterday. In fact, I would love it if we could do this more often.' Jinsol shyly smiles at Jungeun.

Jungeun grabs her hand and pulls Jinsol into her, hugging her tightly. Jinsol falls into her arms effortlessly, nuzzling into her neck.

'I would like that very much, Jinsol. You're the first person I've really been able to talk and connect with in a long time. Usually, people are friendly but get scared off when they find out about my illness..' Her voice goes quiet by the end of the sentence and Jinsol can feel her shake slightly.

She hugs her tightly and bravely kisses Jungeun's neck to comfort her. 'Don't worry. You're my first friend ever and my only friend with that. I have my own issues, I won't ignore nor disregard yours. And I honestly don't think my heart could take it if we had to be apart.' 

Jinsol pulls away from the hug to caress Jungeun's cheeks gently and look her in the eye. 'We haven't known each other for long at all. We barely know each other really. But for the first time ever, I find myself wanting to know more about someone. I want to get to know you, be around you and talk to you. I'm here now, and I don't plan on leaving any time soon.'

As Jinsol finishes her speech, Jungeun lets the tears she was trying to stop for so long fall freely. She dives in to hide in Jinsol's arms and Jinsol simply holds her with all the love she can find in the depths of her cold heart. Her heart warms when she's near the girl, and she wouldn't trade that for the world. She's finally feeling and with Jungeun she wants to.

*Jungeun POV*

How does this girl just suddenly show up in my life by pure chance and make me feel so good? I sniffle and squeeze my arms around her waist tightly, mumbling into her shoulder.

'Thank you.' I close my eyes and try to steady my breathing. She smells so nice, her hair is so soft and her breathing is so steady. I could fall asleep like this. Before I can doze off, she chuckles and kisses the top of my head.

'Besides, if anyone should be leaving it would have to be you. I'm the one that actually works here after all.' I can't help but laugh at her bad joke wholeheartedly. I sit up a bit, finding myself basically in her lap. A blush starts to crawl its way up to my cheeks and I smile shyly at the angel in front of me. Her smile is so vibrant, it reaches all the way to her eyes. I think she might be the cutest and most beautiful person I have ever seen. She's completely different when she smiles. The Jinsol she shows to the world is pretty but cold. I prefer this real, beautiful and warm Jinsol I get to see. 

'Is there something on my face, Jungeun?' She looks at me confused and tilts her head slightly, making her resemble a puppy. I can't help but giggle and trace my finger along her jawline. It's so sharp, I swear she could cut me with it!

'As a matter of fact, there is.' I watch her frown and I lean in, replacing my finger with my lips as I kiss along her jawline to her ear.

'There's so much beauty on your face. I honestly don't think I ever want to look away.' I lean back slightly to find her blushing with a twinkle in her eyes. I wish we could stay like this forever.

'You're such a sweet talker, aren't you?' She leans in slightly and I can't help but hold my breath. Her face is barely a centimetre away from mine. This girl is seriously going to be the death of me. My heart feels like it's going to burst!

'I wonder if your lips are as sweet as your words...' Her words trail off as she lets out a soft breath and leans back. I close my eyes, trying to calm my heart. I swear I'm going to go into cardiac arrest. Did she really just say that?! Does she mean she wants to kiss me?! Oh god, I really want to taste those soft looking lips. I'm going insane here. I have to calm down.

My train of thought is interrupted as I feel Jinsol wrap her arms around me and fall back on the couch to lay down. I open my eyes to find my head resting comfortably on her chest, our legs intertwined and her hands on my waist and in my hair. This feels so natural as if we'd always been doing this. I feel my heart calm down as I listen to her soft breaths.

'Jungeun?' I hum in response, feeling my eyes flutter closed. I hear her chuckle, her body gently shaking with the sweet sound.

'Nevermind now. Sleep well, darling.' 

The last thing I hear is Boris yawn loudly as Jinsol runs her hand through my hair.

*Jinsol POV*

As she falls asleep, I gently run my hand through her hair and find myself smiling. I bite my lip as I think of my slip-up earlier. How dumb was that, basically confessing that I want to kiss her. She looked so shocked and flustered. The poor girl. 

I've never felt like this. Contrary to popular belief, I've never kissed anyone or anything of the sort. I'm always seen as this popular ice queen and a player, even though I'm probably the furthest thing from that. I never felt the need to either. But Jungeun just has this energy that pulls me in. I forget about everything else and just live in the moment, with her. These past few hours have been the best of my life. I wish we could just stay like this forever.

But to all good things, an end must come. 

I gently try to reach for my phone beside me on the couch. As I unlock it, I see it's almost 5 am. Boss would be here soon, he couldn't see us like this. It's unprofessional. But I couldn't just wake Jungeun up. She was so tired, having stayed up with me all night. 

I decide to let her sleep just a little while longer. I run my hand through her hair gently, singing softly.

'han naje taeyangeul samkyeo beorin joero  
jigeum nan yeogi tteugeoun chaero  
neowa dan duri namgyeojin i bame..Singing in the rain...' I hum the rest of the song softly into Jungeun's hair as I feel my eyelids grow heavier.

*Nobody POV*

As the 2 girls lay together on the couch, sleeping soundly, the cafe's owner walks in. He smiles softly at the girls when he finds them. He came in early to tell Jinsol he would close the cafe for the day. His mother was sick and he had to go take care of her. It was a family emergency and he could afford to close the cafe for a day or 2. 

He cleans up the cafe as quietly as he can after gently throwing a blanket over the sleeping pair. Dimming the light and closing the curtains, he walks up to the pair with a fatherly smile on his face. 

He had heard that Jinsol spoke during her shift, but only to a girl briefly. Apparently, she was a ninja and came in to protect Jinsol from some college kids harassing her. He was shocked but happy, thinking Jinsol finally found someone to be comfortable around. And judging by the gentle way she was holding the girl in her arms now, this must be the mysterious ninja girl he heard about.

He shakes his head and crouches down to pet the dog laying next to the couch and give it a bowl of water. As he laps up the water happily, Jinsol stirrs in her sleep.

Jinsol opens her eyes and looks around to find her boss smiling at her. He puts a finger to his lips and points at Jungeun on top of her.

'Shh... Don't worry, the cafe is closing for the day. I have a family emergency.' He whispers gently. Jinsol nods in confusion and tilts her head at him questioningly.

'I already cleaned up and closed the curtains so nobody will bother you. You have your key, stay as long as you want and lock up when you leave, okay?' 

He gets up from where he was crouched next to the couch and waves gently.

'Don't overthink, Jinsol. You deserve some happiness.' He walks away after that, softly closing the door behind him.

Jinsol's gaze lingers at the door, a gentle smile on her lips. 

'Thanks, boss...'

And Jinsol for the first time ever, holding Jungeun in her arms in the middle of a cafe with Boris on the floor next to them, felt like maybe she does deserve happiness. And perhaps she would find it with Jungeun and Boris.

If this is what happiness felt like, Jinsol thought, she could get used to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there we are, yet another chapter completed. I'm sorry for the wait, I've been busy and I don't want to rush the story. I want to provide the best possible story for you all to enjoy!
> 
> If you have any suggestions or requests, don't hesitate to comment here or message me on twitter @Ghostwritemyli1
> 
> :D Until next time!


	6. Sweet home

*Jungeun POV*

Was my pillow always this warm? And why is it moving?! 

I open my eyes in alarm and sit up, blinking to adjust to my surroundings. 

'Well, good morning, princess. Slept well?' I hear a raspy yet smooth and deep voice beneath me. Right! I was with Jinsol at the cafe. I chuckle at how alarmed I had been moments before and look down to find her smiling at me sweetly.

'Good morning, Jinsol. I actually did sleep quite well for once...' I try to return the smile and she nods before stretching her arms above her head and moaning softly at her muscles pulling and cracking. 

I can't help but blush and bite my lip. That was...kind of hot. Her morning voice is so rough yet velvety and sweet, I don't know how.

'Like what you see?' Her voice pulls my head out of the gutter. As I look up, I notice she sat up holding me tighter on her lap, her head tilted cutely.

'I ehm...' I stutter and blush before getting lost in her eyes, biting my lip. 

'You know... You really shouldn't bite your lip like that...' I hear her whisper softly, her voice and face inching closer to mine. I blink slowly and focus on her eyes, drowning in pools of caramel.

'Why not?' I barely manage to whisper out into the silence between us. The air feels tense, the only sound being our slow breathing, Boris panting, and the soft hum of the aquarium filters around us.

Her hand reaches up to caress my cheek and she pulls me closer. My eyes flutter closed as I feel her gently nuzzle her nose into my neck, tracing a line along my jaw.

'Because I've already thrown all my rules out the door with you. I already don't have any self-control around you. If you keep biting your lip like that... I can't stop myself...' She growls against my jaw, her grip on my waist tightening ever so slightly. My breath hitches, my heart rate is through the roof. I feel like I could just melt on the spot. Feeling brave, I open my eyes to look at her soft features, letting my hand find its way up to her defined jawline.

*Jinsol POV*

This girl is really testing me, looking so gorgeous this early in the morning. I've been awake all morning and then she starts biting her lip and looking at me so softly. My heart can't take it anymore. The way she fits on my lap so perfectly, the feeling of her warm cheek against my nose as I nuzzle closer and inhale her intoxicating scent. I love it. I look up into her eyes as she cups my jaw gently.

'Who says you have to? You've never lost control? Never acted on impulse? If I'm the first person to make you lose control, don't be afraid to do so. I won't hurt you, no matter what...' She softly smiles at me, and my heart swells. She makes me feel, more than I've ever felt before. She's right. If I only ever lose myself around her, I might as well let it all go.

I lean up and pull her closer, gently pressing our lips together in a sweet kiss. 

Her lips are soft, so very soft. And they're so sweet and fit against mine just perfectly. I feel her run a hand up to play with my hair as I squeeze her waist and break the kiss smiling widely.

Her eyes meet mine and we both lean in for another short but sweet kiss before being interrupted by Boris barking.

I chuckle and kiss her cheek before nuzzling into her shoulder. I can really get used to this.

Her hand runs softly through my hair, making me purr contently against her. I feel and hear her giggle.

'Did you just purr?!' I shrug and hold her tighter.

'And what if I did? I'm clearly content and... happy. Yeh...I think I'm happy.' I lift my head and kiss her jaw before sitting up looking her in the eye.

'You think? That doesn't sound very convincing miss Jinsol.' She tries to act offended but the slight curl of the edge of her mouth gives it away. And that teasing glint in her eyes. She crosses her arms and huffs jokingly, turning her head away from me. I chuckle and notice her stomach growling softly. Gently, I lift her bridal style and carry her to the front of the cafe, setting her down on the counter.

'I think breakfast could help us both think clearer. Perhaps then I can be certain of this feeling being happiness? What do you think?' I smile at her as she blushes and pulls me closer by the shoulders, effectively locking me in place in between her legs dangling from the counter.

'I think that's a great idea, Jinsol. But I'm also scared my mother is currently holding a search party with the local cops...' She frowns, squeezing my shoulders gently. My heart clenches at the conflicting emotions, so clearly written on her face. So clear to me at least. She's like an open book, my Jungeunie.

*Jungeun POV*

I can't help but think about my mother probably having stayed up all night, looking for me. I may not like her overprotective side, but she's still my mother. And I know she thinks she's doing this for my own good. I absentmindedly start playing with Jinsol's hair, wrapping my legs around her waist as I stay seated on the countertop.

'Would you like me to walk you home? As you may have noticed, the cafe is staying closed for today. I don't really have anything to do or anywhere to go. And if I'm honest, I'd prefer to spend all my time with you.'

She smiles at me and squeezes my thighs. I can't help but smile back and lean in to kiss her nose.

'Thank you. I would love that, but I don't know how my mother will react...' I trail off, remembering that I had my phone turned off since yesterday. I quickly reach for my pocket to find it missing.

'Boris, phone!' I hear a bark before Boris walks up to the counter with my phone gently dangling from his mouth. Jinsol takes it from him and pats his head. It warms my heart how sweet she is with him.

'Thank you.' She nods as she gives me my phone. 

I quickly turn it on and unlock my sim card to find hundreds of missed calls and messages on every possible platform. Panic starts to rise in my chest and I shakily check the last message she sent me.

Jungeun, darling, please! I'm worried sick about you! Where are you? Just come home... I'm taking the day off, I promise we can figure something out if you come back. Please just come back and we can talk about this?

I try to steady my breathing as I hit the call button. Jinsol starts to pull out of my grasp.

'I'll give you some space.' 

'No... Stay, please?' I plead with her as I desperately cling to her. She nods and leans into me, her head resting in my neck and her arms gently resting on my hips. I hold onto her tightly with my free hand as I hear the click of my phone call is picked up.

'Jungeun! Thank god! Where are you? Let me pick you up. You're okay, right? I was worried sick, sweetie.' My mom's frantic but sweet voice comes through loud and clear.

'I... I'm fine mom. I'm sorry...' I feel tears pricking at the back of my eyes, the guilt setting in.

'I know I can be a bit much honey. Don't be sorry, I'm just glad you're safe. You've never been out this long, even when we had big fights. Did something happen?' I bite my lip, looking down at Jinsol. Should I tell her?

'I was just in a cafe all night, they have aquariums and books here. You know that's the perfect setting for me. And Boris was sleeping nearby the whole time.' I hear my mom gasp.

'You can see again? What happened, how did you get your vision back so soon?!' I chuckle as I feel Jinsol kiss my shoulder and squeeze my hips.

'I'm not sure... I kind of made a friend?' It felt weird to call Jinsol just a friend, but I didn't have much choice. This was the safest way to introduce her to my mother.

'Really? Well, that's nice. I know you haven't been able to make friends in a long time because of me darling. I'm sorry.' I sigh.

'It's okay mom, don't worry too much. She's a bit shy but wanted to walk me home after getting breakfast. Would that be okay?' I ask shakily as Jinsol's breath tickles my neck. She was so close, maybe a bit too close.

'Sure honey! Just please leave your phone on this time? I'll be waiting for you two at home, she can stay over for lunch if she wants to. Does she like chicken?' I chuckle at my mom's antics. She may be overprotective and distrusting of people because of that. But she is also the kindest lady I'll ever know. She just always acts tough and strong for my sake. I feel Jinsol stand up straighter and she kisses my cheek, smiling and nodding. I kiss her cheek quietly, understanding what she meant.

'She would really like that. Thanks, mom.' I look at the clock on my phone, it's 9 am. 'We'll be home by 12, is that okay?'

'Okay sweetie, I'll make sure lunch is ready around then. Please text me when you're on your way home and be careful. We don't know how long your period of clarity will last. I love you, Jungeun.'

I smile at her words. 'I love you too mom. Bye.' 

I hang up and sigh, putting my phone down on the counter next to me before rubbing my eyes.

'So we're having breakfast together?' I feel Jinsol tug my hands away from my face and kissing my cheek. I nod excitedly and hop into her arms. She lifts me with ease as I wrap my arms and legs around her and nuzzle her neck.

'My mom actually is letting me be out alone! I must've really worried her.' I chuckle and lean back to look at Jinsol. She stares back at me with a pout.

'You're going out alone?' I roll my eyes at her and lean in to kiss her lovingly. She quickly reciprocates and squeezes my thighs as she carries me. I sigh into the kiss contently and bite her lip, eliciting a soft growl from Jinsol. I break the kiss and chuckle.

'Never without you, silly.' Jinsol stares at me, a deep indescribable look in her eyes. I blush and jump out of her arms, taking a step back and clearing my throat. Jinsol just continues to stare at me with that look in her eyes. 

'So, where should we eh... Where should we eat breakfast?' At that, Jinsol blinks and shakes her head before groaning and mumbling something.

'What was that?' She looks up at me and smiles.

'Nothing, just mumbling to myself. What are you in the mood for? I usually just cook for myself at home but I know most of the shops in this town. I take a lot of nightly walks, wandering around aimlessly...' I step closer to her again and take her hand.

'I'll go anywhere, as long as it's with you.' I smile up at her and watch as her cheeks turn a beautiful deep red.

'Ehm, I don't know if maybe you'd like to freshen up first? I'm still in my work outfit from last night and you're still wearing your clothes from yesterday as well. maybe we should get Boris fed too?' Boris barks at that last statement and I giggle.

'That might be smart, but what did you have in mind then?' Her cheeks redden further as she looks down at the floor, fidgeting.

'I was thinking, maybe we could pass by my place first to freshen up... And then... go on a breakfast date?' She looks up, looking absolutely adorable and nervous. She just asked me to come to her house AND go on a date after.

'That's not the usual order people go for, Jinsol. Usually, you go on a date to afterwards drop your partner off at home. Going in already, you're getting ahead of yourself aren't you?' I can't help but want to tease her, she looks too damn cute when she's flustered.

She steps closer to me hugging me tightly as I rest my cheek against her shoulder and wrap my arms around her neck. I feel her lean in near my ear and whisper softly.

'No offence, my dear Jungeunie. But I don't think anything about us is 'usual'.' I smile and melt into her. She's right, we're so far away from normal.

But I don't think I would want it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this was written very quickly before bed. I couldn't NOT update. This story is constantly lingering in my mind, I keep coming up with scenes during the day that I absolutely have to write down when I get home, lest I go insane. I hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned!


	7. Blue tints and squeaky toys

*Nobody POV*

As Jinsol walks to the back room to double check all the locks and lights, Jungeun settles into one of the seats near the entrance of the cafe. Boris sits in front of her, looking up at Jungeun happily as she pets him and plays with his ears gently. 

'You must be hungry, huh? You never complain though, do you?' Jungeun can't help but smile at her furry best friend in gratitude and admiration. She got so lucky with him. As she waits for Jinsol patiently, she can't help but think about going to her house later and Jinsol meeting her mother. Her mother hasn't met a friend of hers since she was maybe 7 years old? Jungeun can't even remember. And she can't even really call Jinsol a friend anymore, can she? They kissed and it made Jungeun feel warm inside and safe. She felt happy and safe in Jinsol's arms. Something she hadn't felt in a long time with anyone except for Boris.

There was also the fact that she would be seeing Jinsol's place so soon already. She didn't mind, from what she knew of the girl, she seemed to not be able to hurt a fly and be very courteous. However Jinsol also very much seemed like a diamond in the rough when it came to emotions. They were there, but it was apparent she didn't know how to deal with them properly. But even through that, Jungeun could feel her trying to hold herself back, even though Jungeun apparently makes Jinsol lose all control.

Jungeun blushes at the thought. She trusted Jinsol, even though she hadn't known her for long at all. It scared her, but also assured her. Trusting Jinsol so easily and wholeheartedly must mean something, right? 

Jungeun leans over to press a soft kiss to Boris's head just as Jinsol walks back into the cafe area. Jinsol smiles widely at the scene. After having a mild panic attack over somehow running her mouth and having Jungeun come to her place so soon, this scene was what she needed to ground her. She takes a deep breath and walks closer to the pair.

*Jinsol POV*

'Everything is locked up and I'm ready to go whenever you are?' I smile down at Jungeun as she raises her head from Boris's. Her cheeks turn a soft crimson and she quickly stands up from her seat nodding adorably. She grabs Boris's leash and gently holds it. I walk up to the cafe door silently and turn to her before opening it. I bite my lip nervously and smile slightly. Her eyes soften as she looks up at me with... worry? I take a steadying breath.

'As you may have ehm noticed... I don't really talk to anyone...ever... Though you're an exception of course.' I close my eyes tightly and try to calm myself. I don't want to do this but I will have to. I can't bring myself to talk outside of the safe confines of the empty cafe. I don't mind when we're alone, but when we go out...

'I'm really sorry but...' I look at her apologetically and scratch the back of my head. How do I say this without offending her?

'But, you're gonna go silent the second we step out of the cafe, aren't you?' She looks at me warmly. I can't find a trace of annoyance in her eyes. I look down and nod softly, mumbling an apology.

'Don't be sorry, I understand. It must already be terrifying and new to talk to me. I won't force you to talk around others, Jinsol. Okay?' She lifts my chin and smiles at me sweetly. I can't help but feel energized and nod before hesitantly opening my arms. I'm trying to contain myself.

The overload of feelings yesterday after the fight left me confused and impulsive. It's not me. I'm calm, cold and collected. But Jungeun makes me so soft and warm, I can't help myself. While I was in the break room, I promised myself I would treat her right and make sure to not just jump on her. After all, she may not feel this all as strongly as me. She's had friends before but not in a long time, so she sees this differently right? Besides, I don't know if friends is really the right term anymore... I mean, we kissed so that changes it right? I don't think friends kiss or make each other feel the way she makes me feel...

Before I can get stuck in my thoughts more, she steps forward into my open arms and hugs me tightly. I wrap my arms around her shoulders and mumble a thank you into her hair.

She giggles and I melt, moving out of the embrace to look at her beautiful smile. I brush some hair out of her eyes and kiss her forehead softly before moving back. 

'Shall we then?' I hold out my hand for her to take. I won't be able to talk to her, but I can at least hold her hand and keep her close.

*Jungeun POV*

I smile at her simple gesture and quickly take her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. I follow her out of the cafe and quickly notice her demeanour change. She still feels like the same warm Jinsol, but her sweet smile has been replaced by a neutral look, her eyes immediately losing the sparkle they held when she looked at me before. I smile sadly. I wish she didn't have to do this. Whatever reason she has must be deep-rooted and important, or maybe she simply is this way and for some reason, I'm the first person to break through that wall? Who knows, Jinsol remains a mystery to me for the most part. But I hope we can get to know each other more.

We walk in silence through town as I let my eyes wander around. It was small but felt very cosy. I smile at passersby and they smile back until they notice Jinsol holding onto my hand tightly. Their expressions quickly change to those of amazement. The few students I've seen pass by had looks of pure jealousy and confusion written on their face. I simply laughed it off, to which Jinsol squeezed my hand gently. When I look up at her, I notice her lips curl up ever so slightly sometimes. Especially when the street we're walking down is empty.

Boris ends up holding his own leash but walking right beside me. There's really no need for him to even wear it, but it's mandatory and assures other people more than it's beneficial to me. 

We stop walking when we reach an apartment building located a few streets away from the university at the edge of town. Jinsol squeezes my hand again and takes me into the building.

As we enter the elevator, she dares crack a smile at me as she lets go of my hand to dig in her backpack for her keys. I smile back brightly of course.

We reach the top floor and she walks ahead of me with her keys in hand, stopping in front of door 2127. As she unlocks the door shakily, I chuckle. She's trying to act all tough and confident, but she's such a nervous and clumsy softy in reality. I smile as she finally manages to open the door and gestures for me to go in first.

'Why thank you, miss Jinsol, for inviting me into your home.' I bow jokingly and giggle before walking in.

As I walk through a small hallway with a little shoe rack and table with a bowl for keys, which I figured out as Jinsol threw her keys into it quickly, I find myself in a cosy living room area with a small kitchen to my right. On the left side of the living room there is another little hallway with some doors I assume to be the bedroom and bathroom. I feel Jinsol walk up close behind me and I turn to her.

She looks at me shyly, putting her backpack down on the floor and taking a deep breath.

'So ehm... What do you think?' Her voice is so so soft and a blush rises up to her cheeks. She looks so fragile. I realise now, despite all her bravado earlier at the cafe, she was scared. She probably never invited anyone to her home ever. Even before she moved here probably. I try to smile at her reassuringly and walk closer to take both of her hands in mine. Her hands are cold so I rub them gently between mine.

'It's very cosy, Jinsol. It suits you.' I smile up at her and watch her smile back shyly before I look back around her small living room. The walls throughout the whole apartment seem to be painted a bright white and all her furniture has deep blue tints throughout. It's very clean and minimalistic yet somehow still feels cosy. It's like Jinsol, seems cold and serious but there are warm and sweet elements throughout. On her blue couch, there's a baby blue blanket with a pattern of tropical fish all over it. On the small table in the corner, a picture of an older woman smiling sits among some scented candles, of course, blue candles. Small elements that add to Jinsol's humanity. 

'Thank you. I don't really invite people over. I never was the type to do so.' I turn my attention back to her and kiss the palms of her hands gently.

'I feel honoured then, to be the first.' I chuckle at the blush rising up her cheeks at my words and turn to find Boris sprawled out on the white fluffy carpet, in front of the couch.

'Well someone is feeling comfortable.' I chuckle and turn as Jinsol giggles softly and I let go of her hands to watch her walk over to Boris. She smiles at him sweetly and he lifts his head lazily to look back at her goofily.

'Well, he better be. That's a very important carpet to me and possibly the softest carpet I've ever sat on in my life.' Her eyes light up as she speaks animatedly before turning her head back to me. I can't help but feel my heart warm at the way she looks at Boris and then me.

'I'll get you some clothes then if you want to freshen up, Jungeunie?' She looks at me with big eyes and I nod, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. This girl is too cute and dorky.

*Nobody POV*

Jinsol hands Jungeun a simple black T-shirt and one of her favourite sweaters. She had ordered it customised. It's black and has a cute drawing of a blue betta fish on the front. Under the fish in small lettering, it says 'Jinsoul'. Jinsol thought it was funny to write that because it was her spirit animal, her Jin'SOUL'. It's a very comfortable and warm sweater, and she figured Jungeun would like it. 

After showing Jungeun to the bathroom, she tells her she will quickly go check her mailbox downstairs. Jungeun nods and enters the bathroom to freshen up. 

Jinsol looks at Boris and wonders what dog food she should get him. There's a small pet store near her apartment where she usually buys the special feed for the cafe's blue betta. Not wanting to take any risks and wanting to save Jungeun from having to buy food or Boris from having to starve until they get them to their house, Jinsol reaches for Boris's leash. 

Boris complies after looking down the hallway to the bathroom door briefly, where Jungeun was. He walks right beside Jinsol and tugs at the leash for her to let him hold it himself. Jinsol smiles at him as she opens the door to her apartment. He's a good dog and Jinsol could see how Jungeun can trust him so fully.

As they walk to the store, Jinsol buys some packets of food and snacks that Boris reacted to the most positive. She walks out with a bag filled with dog food, dog snacks, a bowl set and Boris is holding onto his leash as well as a squeaky toy in the shape of a chicken that made him excited and made Jinsol chuckle.

Back at the apartment, Jungeun has finished up and walks out to find both Jinsol and Boris gone. She figures Boris must have followed Jinsol down to the mailbox. Boris tends to want to be around people all the time anyway. If it weren't for him liking the rug and Jinsol so much, he would have probably followed Jungeun into the bathroom.

Jungeun puts her sweater and shirt from last night in her backpack and sits on the couch. Just as she sits down, she hears the front door unlock.

'SQUEEEAAKK squeak squeaak' 

Suddenly she hears squeaking and the familiar pitter-patter of Boris's paws against the floor. As she turns towards the hallway she laughs and stands up.

*Jungeun POV*

'You went to the pet store with him?' I smile at her, feeling my heart warm at her kindness and consideration.

'Well, I was going to just buy some food because he must be hungry and I didn't want him to have to starve until he gets back to your place. But then I took him along because I didn't know what food he would like. But then he looked at me so sweetly and I don't have anyone or anything to spend money on really so I just kind of...' She smiles at me confused.

'I understand, he makes for a strong case with those puppy eyes of his.' I smile gently at her and take Boris's leash off as he passes me with his newly acquired toy to go chew it on the rug, where he sat earlier.

'Yeh, he does. I hope you don't mind? I don't mean to overdo it or anything, I just wanted to help.' She turns shy and I see the hesitation in her eyes. Cute.

'Don't worry, I really really appreciate it and I'm certain Boris does too.' We look at him happily cuddling with his new squeaky chicken. We laugh and I take the bag from her to see what she got. 

'Ah, that's indeed his favourite brand of dry food. And his favourite snacks too! Can you secretly talk to animals?' I look up at her with a playful look, raising my eyebrow.

'Haha, I wish. Boris is just very good at pointing out what he wants.' She giggles and walks to her kitchen counter to empty the contents of the bag on it.

She washes the bowls she bought and sets them down on the floor near the kitchen counter, filling one with water and then turning to me.

'Ehm, how much food should I put in the bowl for him? I don't know how much dogs eat...' She looks at me questioningly with the food bag in her hands.

'Boris can eat quite a lot but we try to control his portions. Here, let me show you.' She hands me the bag after opening it and I pour in the correct amount. As soon as he hears the sound of the food he comes to sit in front of the bowls.

'That amount is good. He gets that twice a day usually and some snacks in between sometimes.' Jinsol smiles and nods at me before looking at Boris in amazement.

'Why isn't he eating? Didn't you say he likes this food?! Does he not like the bowls? What do we do?' She looks back and forth between me trying to contain my laughter and Boris sitting right in front of his food bowl staring up at us sweetly. She's so worried, it's precious.

'No, don't worry so much, Jinsol. Boris is a very well trained dog, right?' She nods confusedly.

'This is part of that training. He gets to eat only when my mom or I give him permission to. It's basic doggy manners to wait in front of his bowl until we give him the queue to eat.' I smile at her face lighting up with understanding and excitement.

'That's so cool! He's so smart! And you're amazing for teaching him that, Junguenie!' She's bouncing in place with child-like excitement and I chuckle at her enthousiasm.

'Would you like to give him the command?' I step closer to her and tilt my head, waiting for her answer.

'Really?! Would he even listen to me though?' I nod and smile.

'He likes you, Jinsol. There's no doubt in my mind he'll accept any commands from you.' She smiles down at Boris and I walk closer to whisper in her ear.

'Just hold your hand out above his head, palm down. Then pat his head and say 'massige meogo'.' I lean back and watch her blush before following my instructions nervously.

As expected, Boris listens well and leans up to lick her palm before gently eating from the bowl. Jinsol squeals at the wetness of his tongue and quickly rubs it off on her sweater.

'Jungeun, he listened!' She looks at me smiling brightly and then back down to Boris eating happily. The spark in her eyes is burning brightly, and she feels so carefree now.

'I told you he would. Hey, you haven't changed yet, have you? You can go freshen up and I can make tea?' I gesture at the kettle and box of teabags on her kitchen counter.

'Oh yeh, I should freshen up. The cups are in the cupboard above the sink. Thank you.' She smiles before walking around Boris to go freshen up.

I turn and open the cupboard above the sink to find it holding some cute blue and black mugs. I reach up and huff. Come on, I'm not this small, I can reach it! I stand on the tips of my toes to grab the mugs.

Suddenly another hand appears next to mine and I feel a breath against my ear. I turn my head slightly and my breath hitches, Jinsol's face is so very close.

Suddenly she's holding 2 mugs in front of me and I shake my head to thank her and take them from her. She smiles wordlessly and makes her way to her bedroom.

I blush while making the tea. Her close proximity made me think of how well I slept cuddling with her last night and the kisses we shared earlier this morning. I smile to myself and hum as I take the mugs to the living room and set them on the small black coffee table. 

I settle into the couch and soon Boris joins me, laying on the rug at my feet. Jinsol was right, this is indeed a very soft and fluffy carpet.

I settle my bare feet on Boris gently. His warm fur keeping my feet warm.

Jinsol walks out after a while, wearing an off the shoulder sweatshirt that makes my breath hitch and my throat go dry. Her long pale neck is on display, as well as her defined and beautiful collarbones.

She smiles at me sweetly and settles in the couch next to me. I quietly sip my tea as I take sneaky glances towards her. At least I tried to until I found her staring right back at me and her eyes locked me in place.

'Thank you for the tea, Jungeun.' She takes a sip and sighs contently, closing her eyes and holding the cup close. I smile and set my half-finished cup down on the table.

'You're very welcome. I don't want to be too bold but you look absolutely stunning in that off the shoulder sweatshirt...' I blush and smile as she sets her cup down too and leans in closer to me.

'Thank you, you look positively adorable in my sweater.' She smiles and we end up giggling at our sudden awkward boldness.

I reach out to gently put some stray blond hairs behind her ear and cup her cheek. She leans her cheek into my palm and closes her eyes. She looks so peaceful. I lean forward and put a gentle kiss to the tip of her nose.

She opens her eyes and smiles.

'I promised a breakfast date, didn't I? Shall we?' She smiles softly and I nod, getting up before reaching out my hand for her to take.

'We shall, my lady Jinsol.' She chuckles and takes my hand. I pull her up and smile. 

I'm excited for a breakfast date with this amazing girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unfortunately, I've been a bit busy lately but here I am with another update! I hope you like it!
> 
> Some people were worried about Jinsol's character being too confident. I just want to address that and say it's a front she puts up and she gets easily confused with emotions. Jungeun makes her feel a lot she's never felt before so she reacts rashly and without thinking. You'll see in this chapter she realises how dangerous that is and wants to control herself and take it easy. It's all very new and frightening to her. 
> 
> In future chapters, you will for sure see the development of Jinsol's 'real personality' as opposed to her very impulsive character that shows when she is overloaded with emotions and impulses from Jungeun.
> 
> Let's be honest, we'd all be a mess in front of Jungeun and react weirdly.
> 
> I hope you guys keep supporting the story, seeing the positive comments really makes me want to keep this story going for a long time and improve my writing skills!
> 
> Have a good day/night!!! :3


	8. Pancakes and new friendships

*Nobody POV*

Jinsol told Jungeun about a pancake house her co-worker Vivi spends a lot of time at. Vivi would often mention the place when she left after her shift. Jungeun, of course, agreed, realizing it's probably the same place she went to twice before. She enjoyed the pancakes and the staff seemed very friendly and helpful last time.

They walk into the pancake house hand in hand.

*Jungeun POV*

I notice Jinsol tensing up when we enter. The bell rings as the door softly clicks shut behind us. I look up at her to find her nervously looking around. She's obviously uncomfortable. I feel kind of bad. She wouldn't be stepping out of her comfort zone if it wasn't for me. I lean in closer to whisper in her ear.

'Jinsol, we don't have to eat here. We could just go straight to my house if you're uncomfortable around all these people?' 

She looks at me and shakes her head softly before squeezing my hand and leading me to a booth in the corner furthest away from everyone else. As we sit down she leaves some space between us and lets go of my hand. I squeeze her hand gently and lean up to kiss her cheek reassuringly.

'I've been here before. The food is good and the staff has always been very understanding and kind.' Jinsol nods softly and looks at me slightly less tense than before. She grabs the menu card off the table and stares at it, deep in thought. I can't help but smile at the small pout and frown forming on her face as she tries to figure out what to eat. 

'Should I recommend something?' I ask softly, smiling to myself.

She turns her head to me and pouts even more. Oh, this girl is too cute! I squeal and let go of her hand to grab her cheeks and pinch them playfully.

'Aigoo, my cute little Jinsol is pouting. What's wrong? Where is your beautiful smile?' I playfully stretch the skin on her soft cheeks and talk in a baby voice to her. It doesn't take long for her to crack a smile and start blushing bright red. I smile back brightly and point at the menu.

'The first time I came here, I had the breakfast special. It's pretty good but very filling. I couldn't finish it last time, maybe we could share? Only if you don't mind though!' I smile hesitantly and look at her awaiting some type of answer. 

She leans in, her breath tickling my ear and making me tense up. Her lovely soft voice making me weak.

'I think I would like that very much. I... I'm sorry but could you order?' She leans back a bit and looks at me apologetically.

'Stop with the puppy eyes. I already get that look enough from Boris.' At the sound of his name, Boris wags his tail under the table.

'Of course I'll order, I really don't mind.' I nod and pat her leg before turning to raise my hand and get the waitress's attention.

The same waitress I saw last time happily hops over to us and gets out her notepad. 

'Hello and welcome, how may I help you today?' She smiles brightly before turning to Boris under the table.

'Oh hey, I remember you! Are you in need of some water again?' She smiles down at him before looking up at me questioningly.

I chuckle and feel Jinsol has gotten tense again beside me. I reach out to hold her hand underneath the table and reply cheerily.

'That won't be necessary this time, thank you. He just ate and drank a bit ago. Could we please have the breakfast special? Could we have it with 2 sets of cutlery, though?' Jinsol squeezes my hands and I turn to smile at her but she's staring down at the table. I turn back to the waitress, Haseul was her name I think. I get my answer as I read her nametag. Her name is indeed Haseul.

'Of course! No problem, I usually share with my girlfriend too. It's a big portion, isn't it?' She chuckles as she jots down our order and I hear Jinsol suddenly coughing next to me.

'Hey, are you okay?' I gently pat her back as she coughs and holds her hand up trying to signal she's fine. The coughing subsides and she rubs the back of her neck. Her face is flushed red.

'I'll bring you some water. That's complimentary. Would you like anything else to drink with your order?' Haseul looks at Jinsol caringly.

Jinsol shakes her head softly and I rub circles into her back softly.

'No, thanks. Water is fine.' I smile sweetly up at Haseul as she nods and bows briefly before walking off.

I turn back to Jinsol and push some stray hairs away from her eyes. 

'What happened there, are you okay?' I look her in the eye as she starts turning red again.

*Jinsol POV*

I feel my cheeks heat up and look down at my lap quickly, squirming under Jungeun's worried gaze. I nearly died when the waitress basically implied Jungeun and I are girlfriends. And Jungeun didn't even bother to deny it! But we're not girlfriends, are we? I mean, we're just getting to really know each other. We're comfortable around each other and there's no denying there's something there but it's too fast to say we're a couple, right? 

But oh god, I'm meeting her mother for lunch already. This is fast, what am I doing. Jinsol, you absolute idiot. Abort now, leave. Stop this before it goes too... far...

So soft, her hand on my jaw is so soft as she guides my head up for our eyes to meet. Her dark brown orbs bore into mine as she glides her hand down to rest on my shoulder comfortably. Her hand is so warm...

'Jinsol, I can literally see the smoke coming out of your ears. What are you overthinking in that pretty little head of yours?' Her voice is soft and caring, laced with worry. I can't help but feel guilty and look down.

'I'm sorry...' I whisper into the air between us. A sigh escapes her lips as she pulls me into a soft embrace. My hands automatically find their way to her waist, wrapping around her delicate frame. 

'No need to apologise. Just know that you can talk to me about anything, okay? And if something makes you uncomfortable, please tell me. We may not be used to it, but we're in this together now. We can confide in each other, right?' She pulls back to look me in the eye and I can't help but nod and lean in to place a soft kiss on her cheek.

Jungeun smiles and I swear she lit up the place.

'Excuse me for interrupting, but here's your breakfast, ladies.' A voice interrupts our little moment and we quickly spring apart, both of our cheeks a pretty shade of red.

'Ah, yes thank you! This looks delicious!' Jungeun looks and sounds positively flustered as the waitress places our food on the table. I can't help but smile at her cuteness before remembering the waitress is still standing in front of us. I quickly cover my smile and look up. Our eyes meet and she smiles and winks.

'Don't worry. My girlfriend smiles at me the same way. No reason to be shy.' She bows courteously and leaves the table after patting Boris on the head.

I tilt my head in confusion, why was this waitress being so nice to me?

'We should probably eat before it gets cold.' I turn my head to Jungeun and nod before grabbing a fork and knife, cutting our pancakes and waffles. Our... Feels strangely nice to say.

*Nobody POV*

They spend their time silently eating, accompanied by the occasional kiss on the cheek and playful banter. Tucked away safely in the corner, where nobody can see them.

Or so they thought. 

From the counter, Haseul can just about see the couple enjoying their meal and acting absolutely adorable. 

*Haseul POV*

I can't help but smile at the 2 seated in the corner, enjoying their breakfast special. They barely speak a word to each other, but they don't have to either. The gazes and subtle glances speak for them. Occasionally the blonde-haired girl with the big doe eyes leans in to shyly feed the grey-haired girl a piece of pancake. To which the grey-haired girl beams a sweet smile her way and happily accepts it. Those two are sickeningly sweet.

Though it didn't escape me that they're different from the typical couple. Blondie hasn't spoken a word out loud, except for the occasional whisper to her partner. 

And when I mentioned my girlfriend, Blondie nearly choked on her own saliva. Which leads me to think, whatever they are, it's not official and most likely a bit complicated.

My heart aches for them. They look so close yet there's a distinct line between them, they're both holding back.

'Oh, I know that look. Leave them alone, honey.' A pair of soft arms wrap around my waist from behind me, a chin resting comfortably on my shoulder. Soft pink hair tickles my cheek and I turn to my sneaky girlfriend.

'When did you get here? And why are you behind the counter, you know only staff is allowed here.' She chuckles before turning me around in her arms and kissing my forehead playfully. She pouts and speaks softly.

'What if I'm the secret owner's girlfriend?' I chuckle and slap her arm playfully.

'Hush, what if someone hears you, hm?' I look around, most customers have left, save for 2 regulars and the couple in the corner.

Yes, I am the proud owner of Jo's Pancake House. Yet I pretended to just be a waitress. If anyone asked, I said the owner was busy in the back or was out getting supplies.

It was nicer this way. People expect less from me and are overall nicer if they think I'm just a waitress. They also tend to want less from me. I once made the mistake of mentioning it to whom I thought was a friend of mine. They became greedy, wanting to always eat for free and asking favours. I decided then to distance myself from them and not mention my business to anyone. I moved my business to the next town over, where I met the love of my life.

'There's nobody here, Seulie. Now, why are you bothering my colleague and her friend?' A cute head tilt and nod towards the couple makes me smile.

'Well, my dear Vivi... Something is going on with those 2 and they very much remind me of us. And I did not bother them, nor did I know one of them is your colleague.' I turn back to the couple, still in Vivi's warm arms.

'Wait... Is it blondie? That girl you mention that everyone always drools over and never speaks? What was her name?' I scrunch my nose in concentration to remember her name. Vivi's breath tickles my ear as she leans in closer.

'Her name is Jinsol. She's indeed the blonde beauty I mentioned before. I've never heard her speak. We text occasionally but she seems set on keeping it a strictly business relationship. I don't mind so I give her her space.'

She nuzzles into my hair and sighs sweetly. I chuckle and squeeze her arms.

'Well, I do get the fuss. That girl is ridiculously pretty. Especially when she smiles like that to the other girl.' 

We quietly watch the couple huddled together, whispering into each other's ears softly. 

'Yeh, I'm taking a wild guess she's the girl my boss told me about. Apparently, Jinsol had spoken during last night's shift. The other girl came to save her from a douchebag that's always bothering Jinsol. He even asks about her during my shifts.' I nod at this new information and smile brightly.

Sounds like I was right, definitely something special going on between those two.

'Honey, please don't meddle. Jinsol is very kind but there's a reason she never talked or opened up to anyone probably. Let her figure it out in her own time.'

I let go of Vivi's arms and step out of her hold, turning to her.

'Darling, I love you, but I can handle this. It worked out with you, didn't it?' She chuckles and shakes her head.

'Okay, fine. But I like Jinsol as a colleague. She always cleans everything perfectly after her shift and even helped me before my shift with a delivery the other day. Don't do something to make her quit. Deal?'

I smile brightly and lean in to kiss her cheek.

'Deal!' I jump and clap my hands together excitedly before turning back to the couple.

'Besides, I want to befriend them, don't you?'

Vivi nods, stepping beside me and wrapping an arm around my shoulders, I lean into her touch.

I see Jinsol look up and notice Vivi next to me. Her eyes widen and I can't help but lean up to kiss Vivi's jaw. She looks down and kisses my nose softly.

Jinsol's partner looks up and waves at us.

'Excuse me! Haseul, could we get the bill?' 

I grab Vivi's hand and drag her to their table with me. I hear her chuckle behind me.

'You know what, my girlfriend Vivi just told me that you, Jinsol, are her dear colleague. Apparently, you don't come out much so to thank you for choosing this fine establishment, the breakfast is on the house.'

Their eyes widen and they look at each other confused. I can't help but laugh at the scene unfolding in front of me.

'No, we can't possibly allow you to do that!'

Vivi steps closer to the table and smiles at them kindly.

'Sorry, Jinsol. I can't stop her even if I tried. Just accept it, it'll make things easier for everyone. Also, thank you for remembering me mentioning this place. I knew you listened to some of the things I say.' She playfully winks at Jinsol.

'I... Well, if it can't be helped. Thank you very much. It feels a bit weird that everyone knows everyone's names except for mine. My name is Jungeun, it's a pleasure to meet you.' 

Jungeun stands up and bows deeply. Jinsol quietly gets up and does the same.

'Are you sure there's nothing we can do to repay you? We have the money to pay, honestly. I feel bad just accepting this so suddenly.'

I smile before shaking my head and reaching my hand out to Jungeun.

'Just accept it. If you want to feel like you deserve it, there's one thing I would like. Let's become friends?' I smile brightly as Jungeun takes my hand and shakes it gently.

'I would like that a lot, Haseul. I don't have too many friends here yet.' I glance to the side to find Jinsol staring at our hands and I quickly retract my hand from Jungeun's before nodding at Jinsol.

'Well then, I'll be seeing you guys around here more often? You can get my number from Vivi. She can send it to Jinsol and Jinsol can send both numbers to you?'

Jungeun nods and smiles brightly. What a cheery girl. I nod one last time and walk back to the counter.

'Sorry about her, I'll message you Jinsol. Happy you're trying by the way.' I hear Vivi's soft voice behind me before she quickens her pace to join me at the counter.

'I heard that you know.' I frown at her playfully.

'So what if you did?' She hugs me tightly. 'Just be careful. I was easy compared to Jinsol. That girl is extremely closed off. Maybe it's best to leave her to Jungeun. Though I do like the thought of us 4 being friends.'

I nod and smile, hugging my pink-haired princess back tightly.

I wave as Jungeun and Jinsol leave, Jungeun smiling back brightly and waving while Jinsol pulls her out of the door.

Those 2 are very interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New character POV! yaay
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this update :) 


	9. Shining Insecurities

*Jungeun POV*

Guiding Jinsol towards my house, I hold her hand tightly. She was so flustered earlier when Haseul and Vivi came by. She looked so cute though. I do wonder why she was so bothered suddenly. Haseul was being so kind, I don't recall her saying anything that could have bothered Jinsol.

'Jinsol?' I stop walking a few houses from where I live and look ahead to see Boris a few metres in front of us, obviously knowing his way. I squeeze Jinsol's hand gently as she looks anywhere but me it seems.

'What's wrong? You've been quiet ever since we left the pancake house. Even in there you were being a bit odd, actually now that I think of it... Are you okay? You know you can talk to me. Would you rather just go home? I know meeting my mom might be a bit too much for you...' At this, her head snaps up, her eyes laced with guilt and a hint of fear passing through them.

She lunges forward to pull me into a tight hug. I wrap my arms around her waist and nuzzle into her shoulder, giving every bit of comfort I can.

'I'm sorry for making you worry...' It's barely a whisper, pressed into my hair gently by a scared angel.

'Don't apologise, Jinsol. It's okay.' I pull away from the hug slightly to look her in her beautiful brown eyes. The sun peeks from behind the clouds at just this moment, basking us in its warm light. The sunrays bounce off of Jinsol's pale complexion, making her look even more angelic.

She smiles shyly at me, her fingers tangled in my hair. I wish we could stay like this forever.

'I do want to meet your mother, Jungeunie. I'm just worried things are going too fast... I don't know. Just me and my silly thoughts.' She looks away, flustered and biting her lip.

I chuckle and stare at her, amused. So that's it, she's worried about us. We haven't known each other long, but I have the feeling we will know each other for a long time to come. An idea sparks in my head as I look at her biting her lip.

*Jinsol POV*

As I try to calm my racing heart, a gentle caress of my chin pulls me out of my thoughts. 

Suddenly I'm pulled closer to Jungeun, our faces a breath apart. My breathing becomes shallow as she runs her thumb over my lips, pulling my bottom lip out from my teeth. I didn't even realise I had been biting my lip. It's a dumb nervous habit.

Our eyes meet and my breath hitches. She looks absolutely stunning in this light. Her grey hair glows in the sun, looking almost white, her eyes slightly hooded with her lips twisted in a smirk that is making my knees feel weak.

'Wasn't it you who said I should stop biting my lip, Jinsol? I remember there being consequences.' 

Before I have time to fully process her words, she closes the gap between us.

Her lips are cold but they're making me feel so very warm. I melt into the kiss, pulling her closer, my hands tugging at her hair. 

She deepens the kiss, squeezing my sides and making me lose my breath. I can feel myself slipping, losing control.

Nothing else matters, only Jungeun... Jungeun... I don't ever want to let her go. Screw it. I'm meeting her mother. Whatever this is, what we have, I don't care. As long as it means I can stay by her side and hold and kiss her like this, I don't care what we call ourselves. All I know is now that she's come into my life, I can't live without her. 

There's this strange and very strong pull towards her that I can't explain.

I feel her pull away, softly nibbling on my bottom lip before leaning back and smiling up at me. Her cheeks are flushed red, her breathing irregular and shallow. 

I can't help but smile brightly at her and peck her lips softly.

'I'll be sure to remember that, miss Jungeun.' I wink at her playfully. 

Her sweet melodic giggle reaches my ears as she caresses my jaw ever so gently.

'Don't worry about us. We'll figure things out. And please don't worry about my mother. If you don't want to speak around her, she'll understand. I'll talk to her, okay?' 

I nod and nuzzle into her palm.

'As long as you're with me, I think I can do anything...' 

Our eyes meet, prompting us both to grin like idiots before Jungeun quickly pulls me by the hand towards her house. 

Jungeun, if it's you, I'll run anywhere you tell me to, I'll swallow the afternoon sun and chase you anywhere. You have my heart.

 

As I walk behind her, one thought overpowers: Jungeun, I think I'm falling in love with you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: So here we are, short little update! Life has been hectic :3
> 
> So Jinsol is figuring her feelings out a bit and wanted to show her insecurities shining through her tough and confident exterior. Jungeun catches on quite well and will continue to ground Jinsol through her learning how to cope with all of these changes and feelings that came up in such a short time span.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed reading and have a good night/day! Stay tuned!


	10. Like mother, like daughter

*Nobody POV*

Jungeun and Jinsol had stepped into Jungeun's house with big dorky smiles on their faces. Boris ran in and went straight for the kitchen to greet Jungeun's mother. 

The soothing smell of a homemade meal settled Jinsol's nerves somewhat. Jungeun clung on to her hand tightly, reassuring her with every step they took further into the house. 

'JUNGEUN!' 

Her mother rushes forward to tightly embrace her dear daughter. She had been so worried over her and decided to talk things out and find a way to give Jungeun her freedom, without having to constantly fear for her. Jungeun was, after all, a teenager that wants to explore the world and be herself.

Jinsol tried to let go of Jungeun's hand so she could better hug her mother, but Jungeun only held her hand tighter, intertwining their fingers. So Jinsol was left awkwardly standing slightly off to the side of this little family reunion.

'Hey, mom. The food smells delicious as always.' Jungeun smiles, tightly wrapping her free arm around her mother. She felt relieved her mother didn't greet her with an argument this time. Maybe this time they would really settle things and find an agreement that works out for everyone.

'Honey, I'm so glad you're home safe! I was so worried for you, let's have a nice lunch together and talk things over, shall we?' 

Her mother smiles brightly as her gaze shifts over to the awkward angelic looking girl behind her daughter.

'Oh my god! Sorry, sweetie. I got so caught up in seeing Jungeun safe and sound that I forgot to greet you, how rude of me! My name is Kim Hyoyeon, Jungeun's mother as is obvious.'

Jinsol shyly looks up at Hyoyeon, she was a beautiful lady. It was evident she had Jungeun at quite a young age. Hyoyeon's smile is just as radiant as Jungeun's, making Jinsol blush and smile back softly.

'It's very nice to meet you, dear. Thanks for taking care of my daughter and being her friend. She didn't bother you, did she? What's your name?'

Jinsol scratches the back of her neck before bowing deeply and looking at Jungeun for help. Jungeun smiles at her gently, squeezing her hand. Letting her know she's right there for her.

'Her name is Jinsol, mom. She's a bit shy. Maybe that's an understatement. She doesn't really like talking much.' Jungeun's voice is laced with amusement during her last statement. She knows better, she knows that Jinsol is actually EXTREMELY talkative. With the right person, that is. And with the right topic, especially marine biology.

Jinsol nods and smiles up at Hyoyeon apologetically. 

'No worries, dear. You'll open up whenever you feel ready to do so. Take your time. Just know that you're always welcome here, and you shouldn't be scared of me okay? The only thing I'm guilty of is loving my daughter too much and letting that blind me to the point of suffocating her and being overprotective...' Hyoyeon smiles sadly at Jinsol before turning to Jungeun.

'I really am sorry, honey... I kind of lost track of your needs because of my own fear. But you know everything I did and do is for you, right? It's all to protect you and keep you safe, dear.'

Jungeun smiles brightly at her mom, tearing up slightly. Jinsol notices this, and as her first instinct ever since meeting her is to help her in any way possible, Jinsol steps forward to wipe away a stray tear and smile at Jungeun lovingly. 

Jungeun's mother may be a lot of things, but she isn't a bad person nor is she stupid. She recognises the glint in the young girl's eyes. It's the same glint of confusion and kindling love she once held for someone too. She smiles, Jinsol seems like a great match for Jungeun's expressive and loud self. Someone calm and collected, calm waters to tame the wildfire that is Jungeun.

Jungeun was a bit too much like her mother in that, quite impulsive and strong. Which is part of why Hyoyeon is so worried about her. Hyoyeon has had her fair share of heartbreak and mistakes in the past. But Jungeun was never one of them.

'I'm okay Jinsol, thanks. I know mom, I love you.' Jungeun smiles at her mother in a way she hadn't in a long time. Hyoyeon's heart swelled at the sight and she jumped forward to hug both girls tightly.

'Now let's eat before the food gets as mushy as we are now.' Hyoyeon laughs whole-heartedly, leading the 2 young girls to join in automatically.

Jinsol shyly looks away after giggling.

'Jinsol, honey? You have a lovely laugh. You should know that.' Hyoyeon speaks gently and caring, not wanting to trigger the shy girl.

Jinsol can't help but look at her with a small smile threatening to spill over her lips, head slightly tilted making her resemble Boris when he's confused.

*Jinsol POV*

I didn't expect Jungeun's mother to be so much like her. From what Jungeun told me about her, it was obvious she was very caring and loving. She worries about Jungeun a lot, which is very understandable given the circumstances. That can only come from a big loving heart. But I didn't expect her to have the joking nature and strong disposition Jungeun does. 

Jungeun never mentioned her father. I won't push her about that, after all, I don't have either parent. It's obvious Jungeun takes after her mother a lot.

'C'mon Sol.' Jungeun's gently voice pulls me out of my thoughts as always, and I follow her immediately to the dinner table.

The food smelled so good and looked even better, somehow! I haven't had a proper homemade meal like this in months, not since I moved here.

We all take a seat at the table. I follow Jungeun to sit right beside her, scooting my chair closer to hers.

Her mother, Hyoyeon, settles the last dishes on the table and pours us all a glass of water before sitting down herself.

'Dig in, girls! I hope you like it!'

We all start piling food onto our plates, turns out we're all quite big eaters. 

I notice Boris sitting right next to my chair on the floor, looking up at me with his big eyes. I pat his head gently and smile.

'Honey, keep this one. Her giggle sounds angelic, she's calm and shy AND Boris likes her! Not to mention, I like her. Jinsol, you can just call me mom.' Hyoyeon chuckles and I see her wink at Jungeun as I snap my head up, probably blushing furiously.

'MOM!'

Hyoyeon sets her cutlery down and smiles innocently at Jungeun. I simply reach out to gently squeeze Jungeun's thigh in what I hope to be support.

'Yes, my dear? What's wrong?'

Hyoyeon smirks and I see Jungeun frown for a split second before her facial expression softens and she blushes, looking down at her lap.

'I like her too...' Jungeun's voice is barely audible, but I heard and I'm sure her mother did too judging by the wide grin on her face as she happily continues eating.

Our faces are both turning redder by the second. Jungeun looks up and our eyes meet. Her sweet smile and rosy cheeks draw me in so easily.

I lean closer and gently push a few stray hairs out of her face, smiling softly. She mesmerizes me like nothing or nobody has ever been able to before.

'Gorgeous...'

I blink. Wait... Did I just?...

'Why yes, I do believe my daughter is gorgeous, Jinsol. After all, she gets her good looks from me, obviously.' Hyoyeon's voice is teasing yet filled with warmth. 

My breath hitches and I look down. Why can't I stop myself in front of this girl...

*Jungeun POV*

My mother seriously needs to stop teasing. I know it's a fun part of her personality, and mine too. But I don't know how much more Jinsol can take. Though she must be comfortable if she can talk in front of her, even if it wasn't intentional.

I smile at Jinsol's head hung down in embarrassment. She's too adorable. I'm so glad mom likes her. She hasn't liked any of my friends in the past, yet so quickly took a liking to Jinsol.

Ever since this angel walked into my life, everything has been turning around for the better.

'It's okay. You know you can be comfortable around me. And with my mom too, I promise.' I gently lift her head and look her in the eye smiling brightly to lift her mood.

Of course, she immediately smiles back brighter than humanly possible. I swear. she must be a literal angel, sent down to bless my eyes and my life with her presence!

'Girls, if you're done eating, I'll clean up the plates. Don't worry, it's your turn tomorrow, Jungeun! You two can go upstairs and relax. I'll bring some snacks later. Do leave your door open though.' My mom laughs and winks as she swiftly grabs some plates and runs off to the kitchen.

'MOM, PLEASE!'

I swear, her teasing is too much. 

My mother does know me best though. And is great at reading people, I get that from her too. It has helped me a lot since I became ill.

She will tease me endlessly about Jinsol for the next 50 years possibly. I've never had a love interest and with Jinsol I'm pretty obvious, I guess. Or am I?

I grab Jinsol's hand and get up from the table to lead us up to my room. 

If my mom can tell I like Jinsol and approves of her. Maybe I should make it clear to Jinsol that I really like her? That I want to keep kissing and holding her, that she really can call my mother, 'mom', too.

I squeeze her hand tightly and run up the stairs with her, Boris following closely behind.

I look behind me to find Jinsol smiling, slightly out of breath from running up the stairs. I open the door to my room and pull her in with me, hugging her tightly and kissing her neck.

'Jinsol, nuneul ttegi himdeuni gyesok hamkke haejullae?' ('It's hard to take my eyes off of you, so will you be with me continuously?' - Eclipse by KimLip)

I lean back to look her in the eye, awaiting her answer. She leans in close and kisses me sweetly on the lips, running her hand through my hair.

She pulls me even closer and smiles at me, her voice barely registers as she leans in impossibly close and my heart wants to beat out of my chest.

'Jungeunie, majimak sungankkaji neon nae gyeoteman isseojwo' ('Until the very last moment, stay next to me.' - Singing in the rain by Jinsoul)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note:
> 
> OMG, finally an update! 
> 
> Sorry guys, have been overwhelmed with uni work and being sick. I'll try to upload more often starting next week.
> 
> How are you liking it? Part of me wants to add in some supernatural elements that could enhance the story and make it dig deeper and last longer. Thoughts?
> 
> Have a good day/night! Until next time! :3


	11. Cosy afternoon

*Nobody POV*

Jinsol and Jungeun were watching a movie during which Jungeun promptly fell asleep on Jinsol, nuzzling into her neck. Jinsol smiled down at her, gently wrapping an arm around her and kissing the top of her head.

The door creaks open slowly, Hyoyeon appearing with a tray of snacks and 2 glasses of fresh orange juice for the girls. 

Hyoyeon's heart swelled at the scene in front of her. She hadn't seen Jungeun sleeping this relaxed in ages. Usually, when she would check up on her at night, her face would be contorted in discomfort. Yet, here she was, cuddled into Jinsol's side with a soft content smile on her face.

Jinsol looks up to meet Hyoyeon's eyes and blushes furiously.

'Don't worry dear, I'm sure she can use the sleep.' Hyoyeon whispers while softly sneaking closer to the couple on the bed and setting the tray on Jungeun's desk as quietly as possible to not wake her daughter.

'I'm glad she found you. She's been in desperate need of a friend, or something more in this case.' Hyoyeon winks at the now completely red and flustered Jinsol.

'I'm just teasing, but you 2 are quite obvious. For what it's worth, you have my blessing. Just be patient with her. As kind as our Jungeun is, she's also very blunt and rough around the edges. She gets that from me.'

Jinsol smiles softly, looking down at the girl in her arms. 'Our Jungeun', Jinsol liked the sound of that.

She looks back up to Hyoyeon to find her slowly making her way back to the bedroom door.

'Th... Thank y-you...' Jinsol somehow manages to whisper into the now darkened room, since Hyoyeon turned off the laptop and lights.

'No, thank you, Jinsol. I entrust you with her. And you're always welcome here, okay?'

Jinsol nods softly before getting more comfortable in bed with her Jungeun. They shift until Jinsol is laying on her back, with Jungeun wrapped around her and unconsciously sucking on Jinsol's shirt.

As she focuses on Jungeun's breathing, Jinsol too falls into a much-needed slumber.

**********************************

*Jungeun POV*

Why the hell does my mouth taste like perfume?

I open my eyes groggily to find myself curled around Jinsol, a piece of her collar in my mouth. What the-?!

Jumping up, I blush furiously. Before I can get out of my bed entirely, I feel Jinsol wrap her arm around my waist and pull me back down on top of her, leaving me to practically straddle her.

'Ehm, Jinsol...' She hadn't opened her eyes yet, her eyebrows pulled up in an adorable frown, making them resemble the Chinese character for '8'.

'5 more minutes...' The sweetest mumble released itself from Jinsol's lips. Her whiny voice rung in my ears, making butterflies burst around in my stomach.

'Sweetie, we've been sleeping the entire afternoon.' I look at the clock on my bedside table as I say this, noting the time reading 4 pm.

Looking back down at Jinsol, her eyes slowly flutter open, meeting mine hazily.

'Jungie?' Okay, my heart is seriously going to explode if she keeps calling me by these cute nicknames in that whiny voice!

'Yes, Jinsol?' 

Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she smiles up at me sweetly before sitting up, with me still in her lap.

'Hey.' She husks at me, wrapping her arms around my waist lazily. I relax in her hold and lean my forehead against hers, wanting to stay as close to her as possible.

'Hey. How did you sleep?' She squeezes my sides and tilts her head, pouting her lips in contemplation.

'I usually don't sleep at all or only 1 or 2 hours. So this is an improvement either way. Though I did sleep exceptionally well, I wonder why? Maybe I should buy the same mattress you have?'

Her pout turns into a teasing smirk by the end of her question and I can't help but giggle.

'Perhaps, this mattress was quite expensive you know? Maybe I have another option though, a cheaper one if you're interested?' I throw back at her, a taunting smirk on my lips.

She nods, raising her eyebrows in expectation.

I lean in closer, tracing my nose along her jaw up to her ear. Breathing softly into her ear, I hear her breath hitch and feel her shudder ever so slightly.

'Maybe you could benefit more of this amazing sleep if you simply shared this mattress with me...' I blush as the words leave my lips and bite her earlobe for good measure.

'JUNGEUN!' Jinsol jumps at my love bite and turns her head to me, ears and cheeks red and eyes wide in shock.

'What? Don't think I didn't hear when mom walked in here and told you you're always welcome. And don't act like you wouldn't like to sleep with me.' 

As the words leave my mouth and Jinsol's eyes turn from shocked to sultry, I gulp and shy away from her stare.

'Confident, aren't we, Jungie?' I quickly try to get off her lap but she pulls me closer, leaning her lips dangerously close to mine, making me lose all focus.

'Don't worry, let's not get ahead of ourselves.' She playfully nips my lower lip, igniting a fire deep within me as I surge forward to capture her lips in a hungry kiss.

My hands caress her jawline, hers wrapped around me tightly. We both sigh into the kiss and I nibble her lip softly before breaking apart and smiling at her lovingly.

'I don't plan on letting you go for a long time anyway. So we can take it nice and slow.' Her words make my heart swell and my smile widens into a grin.

'I don't plan on letting you go either, Jinsol.' She smiles and kisses my cheek before getting up and pulling me with her since I was still in her lap.

'But I might have to let you go occasionally to pee and such. Unless you'd like to accompany me?' I raise my eyebrow playfully at her as the most melodic giggle drifts through my room.

I smile up at her sweetly and kiss her cheek before walking towards the hallway, Jinsol in tow.

'Wherever you go, I'll go. I mean it, Jungeun. Neither one of us is alone anymore.' I turn to her slowly. Her facial expression is soft yet serious and determined.

'I know.' I point towards the bathroom door down the hallway.

'I am going to the bathroom, you can wait downstairs with my mom maybe? We usually have hot chocolate or coffee around this time and chat together when she has the day off. Would you be okay with that?'

Jinsol simply smiles and briefly grabs my hand and squeezes it assuringly.

She hops down the stairs elegantly, and it's only now that I notice Boris was following her instead of sticking around my room or staying with me. He really likes her.

I turn towards the bathroom, humming to myself softly.

***********

*Jinsol POV*

As I walk into the living room, Hyoyeon turns her head to greet me from where she was reading a book, seated in the couch.

'Hey there, sleepyhead. Where is Jungeun?'

I wave softly and mutter under my breath.

'H-hey... Jungeun... Bathroom...' Luckily it was dead quiet in the house and Hyoyeon seemed to possess great hearing.

'Ah, yes. Well, I was going to come to wake you guys up soon. I was going to ask if you prefer hot chocolate, coffee, or tea. I know Jungeun recently took a liking to hot chocolate.'

I smile to myself. Jungeun did say she really liked my hot chocolate. 

I look up as Hyoyeon stands up and nods her head to the kitchen, beckoning me to follow her.

I shuffle after her, looking around the spotless kitchen. I guess she is a bit of a neat freak.

'So, what would you like to drink, Jinsol? I've already prepared the biscuits, they're on the counter there. If you could take them to the living room while I make the drinks?'

I nod, reaching for the tray of biscuits on the counter before turning back to her.

'I...'

'Mom, can Jinsol make my hot chocolate?' Jungeun walks up behind me and leans her chin on my shoulder, I turn my head to see her smiling softly at her mother.

'Why? You don't like my hot chocolate?' Her mother teasingly points a finger at Jungeun.

'You think you're all grown up, ready to drink other's hot chocolate! Blasphemy!' 

Jungeun can't help but giggle at her mother's antics.

'Oh, calm down. Jinsol just makes amazing hot chocolate, she works at a cafe but I've never had hot cocoa quite as good as hers mom, sorry.'

Hyoyeon chuckles whole-heartedly and nods. 'Alright, but only if she wants to and if she is willing to make me a cup too. I need to taste for myself what magic drink is making my own daughter betray me.'

I chuckle and nod, a blush rising to my cheeks yet again.

'Alright, then I'll take the biscuits into the living room and you help Jinsol with the drinks. I'll give Boris his afternoon treat too then if he ever stops staring at Jinsol.'

We all turn to find Boris sitting a few metres behind me, right at the division between kitchen and dining room, looking up at me sweetly. Laughter fills the house as Hyoyeon grabs a treat from a cupboard and balances the tray she took from me in her other hand, headed towards the living room with Boris following the treat intently.

**********

*Nobody POV*

After giggling and playing around in the kitchen while making the hot chocolate, Jungeun and Jinsol make their way into the living room with 3 hot cups of chocolate milk in their hands.

'There you are! Had fun, girls?' Hyoyeon laughs at the flushed faces of the 2 aforementioned girls, the cookie in her hand crumbling slightly, Boris swiftly licking the crumbs up off the carpet.

'Here, this is yours mom.' Jungeun hands her mother a cup before settling in the couch next to Jinsol.

The rest of the evening is spent with Hyoyeon teasing the girls and complimenting Jinsol on her hot chocolate making skills as well as her beauty. Jinsol and Jungeun cuddle together on the couch as mother Hyoyeon makes them dinner after insisting that Jinsol spends the night. Jinsol readily agreed, she had at least 1 other free day tomorrow from work, and she didn't want to go home to an empty apartment after spending the day in the cosy Kim residence.

Jungeun and Jinsol look at each other with smiles on their faces, and hearts filled with kindling young love.

Hyoyeon smiles at them as she walks out of the kitchen to tell them dinner is ready.

The doorbell rings.

Loud knocking sounds through the house.

'MISS KIM JUNGEUN, THIS IS THE POLICE. OPEN UP, WE ARE HERE TO DISCUSS ASSAULT CHARGES.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note:
> 
> well, it's been a while. Exams are starting and I'm overwhelmed but here's a chapter to satisfy all our needs I hope.
> 
> have a good day/night


	12. Unravel

*Nobody POV*

Hyoyeon, startled, walks up to the door to see what all the commotion is about.

As she opens the door, Jinsol and Jungeun trail behind and stand in the doorway between the living room and entrance hall.

'Hello, officer, how may I help you?' Hyoyeon crosses her arms in front of her, sternly looking at the man that was abusing her door just seconds ago.

'Good evening madam, I'm here looking for a miss Kim Jungeun and Jung Jinsol, are they here?' The police officer turns his head in the doorway and notices the 2 girls standing at the side.

'May I ask why you decided to abuse my door at 7 pm. Supposedly in search of my daughter and her friend? Assault charges? I don't believe a word of it.'

Hyoyeon glances at Jungeun who'd started biting her lip with Jinsol clinging to her hand. One glance and Hyoyeon knew there must be some truth to the assault charges, though she doesn't believe she'd simply attack someone out of the blue.

'I will explain everything and I am terribly sorry about your door. May I come in to explain?' 

The officer looked almost scared under Hyoyeon's intense glare.

She steps aside, letting the officer in and closing the door behind him.

'We can talk in the living room.'

The group awkwardly moves into the living room. Jungeun and Jinsol settle on the couch while the officer sits on a chair on the side. Hyoyeon stands behind the couch, a comforting hand on each of the girls' shoulders.

'Yes, well... I am here to investigate claims made that Kim Jungeun assaulted our captain's son, young mister Lee.'

Jungeun sighs and sits up, Jinsol rests her hand on Jungeun's thigh gently.

'What does this Lee boy claim? I will tell my side of the story if I get to hear what he is accusing me of.'

The police officer clears his throat and nods, grabbing a notebook and pen from his pocket.

'Well, according to him he went to the cafe with his friends to enjoy a drink and chat. As he was ordering his drink, you allegedly suddenly jumped and attacked him. He tried to reason with you but to no avail and after being checked by a medical practitioner, it was concluded that he sustained a bruise on his leg and arm as well as a broken finger.'

Hyoyeon gasps slightly, squeezing Jungeun's shoulder harshly. Jungeun simply chuckles dryly.

'He forgot to mention the part where he went to the cafe to get a date out of Jinsol here. And when she wouldn't give in, he harassed her and was about to force himself upon her. Must've slipt his mind, huh?'

By this point Jungeun was standing up straight, venom dripping from her lips, eyes ablaze. 

Jinsol worriedly gets up as well and gently wraps Jungeun into a back hug, nuzzling into her hair and whispering for her to calm down.

'I... Is that what you claim? Then if this is true, I must ask why you didn't report it. And where the assault part comes in from your side.'

Jungeun tenses and clenches her fist.

'That idiot was hurting her, her wrist is still bruised from where he held her so tightly if you want proof! I couldn't just stand there and watch, so I asked him to back off and instead, he decided to try and fight me. He wouldn't listen to his idiotic friends either. I simply did what was right and protected someone. If your captain wants to abuse his power and press charges without a proper investigation, so be it. But he should know his son is a hormone-driven buffoon with anger issues.'

The police officer simply gasps in shock, his mouth opening and closing in confusion. He resembled a fish out of water for a moment.

'I can assure you, our captain wouldn't do that! If I'm honest, everyone in the force knows his son is hot-headed and impulsive. When he barged into the station yelling that he was assaulted, we thought he got into a fight yet again. Hearing him say he was assaulted and by a girl at that. It was so unlikely that we figured it could be true. He has too much pride to state so determinedly that a girl beat him up. It must've been serious, we thought. Coming here to investigate after asking around for who it could possibly have been, made me see he didn't lie about you injuring him. You seem very confident in your fighting skills and wouldn't go out of the way of a confrontation, would you? I will report this all back to the captain and make sure his son is disciplined. I've let him off the hook too often with petty things. But him actually hurting someone and forcing himself upon someone... He should know better.'

As he stands up and puts his notebook and pen back, he bows deeply.

'I am terribly sorry for any discomfort this caused you. I know you are new here but please rest assured that you can trust the police force if anything ever happens. I hope nothing like this happens again, but if it does then please come to report it!' 

Hyoyeon nods softly and walks around to the officer and reaches out her hand.

'Thank you for doing your job properly officer. We'll trust in you to do the right thing.'

Jungeun bows slightly awkwardly with Jinsol still wrapped around her.

'I'm sorry for raising my voice. I simply can't stand dishonesty and false accusations. Thank you for believing me.'

Hyoyeon smiles as the officer shakes her hand and nods back at her. 

'I will take my leave then, have a good evening. This shouldn't become a big issue, but would it be alright to contact you if we have to list the case and press charges on mister Lee?'

They walk him to the door and smile politely at him.

'That'll be fine. I would gladly help in any way I can to make him see he shouldn't act like this ever again.'

***********************************

*Jungeun POV*

After getting scolded by my mother for beating up a kid, no matter how justified it was, we had dinner and Jinsol and I decided to watch another movie in my room.

As I set up my laptop, I turn to find Jinsol standing at my window, staring out at the darkened sky.

'You alright there, Sol?' Pushing my laptop aside, I get off the bed and walk up behind her.

She simply hums softly as I wrap my arms around her and rest my chin on her shoulder.

Staring up at her beautiful face illuminated only by the faint moonlight and backlight from my room, I can't help but feel at peace.

'Jinsol, I'm sorry I yelled earlier...' 

She's been extra quiet since the officer left. She must've not wanted to be reminded of that terrible guy and what he did to her only a day ago...

'It's okay. I understand. I just... got scared. What if you'd gotten in trouble for protecting me? I seem to always hurt those that come close to me...' 

Jinsol's voice is soft and shaky. I turn her in my hold and caress her cheek gently, my other hand squeezing her side gently. Her eyes are glistening, tears forming slowly.

'Hey, don't cry. I'm here and nothing bad is going to happen to me. How could anything bad happen now that I have my angel with me?' 

I try to smile reassuringly at her to ease her troubled mind. She just looks down sadly, a tear finally making its way down her cheek. I quickly wipe it away and lead her to the bed to sit down.

'Want to talk about what's bothering you? I have a feeling it's more than just the police officer coming over earlier.' I gently rub her back in soothing circles as she stares down at the floor.

'I don't get close to people for a reason. Ever since I was young I kept to myself because people that got close to me got hurt... My words and actions would hurt them. Or bad things would just happen to them. I'm not meant to be held dear... I can't help but fall for you and want to be with you. It's so selfish, Jungeun! I don't want anything to happen to you, but I also can't stay away...I'm so sorry.'

Jinsol got progressively more upset and by the end of her story she was crying, trying to hide her face and turning away from me.

'No, don't turn away from me, Sol.' I quickly wrap my arms around her and pull her close against me, laying down in bed.

She tries to pull away but I just pull her closer.

She eventually gives up and curls into me, her face hidden in my neck. She was shaking and I feel my shirt and neck getting wet.

'Sweetie, no matter what, I will stay with you. I already told you that. Nothing bad can happen to me now that I have you. We may not have known each other for long, and we don't know everything about each other yet obviously. But that doesn't make our feelings any less valid. It's okay to be scared. But you said it yourself, I'm an exception to many of your rules, and it feels natural to just give in and be with me, right?'

Her sobs subside slightly and I feel her nod ever so slightly against me.

'How can something this natural and warm be wrong then? Even if something bad happens, it's not your fault. It probably never was. You were just unlucky and so were those around you. Life is unfair but we can only follow its flow and try to make those unfair situations as positive as possible. So don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. And we'll both be okay, through good and bad, okay? Now, please stop crying. It breaks my heart to see you like this...'

My own eyes were stinging with tears threatening to form. My arms tighten around her as she sniffles and whines.

'I'm sorry... I'll try.' 

The saddest whisper flows out from her lips. I can't do more than offer her the comfort she deserves and needs.

As we lay there, her breathing evens out and soft snores escape her lips. 

Kissing the top of her head, I try to turn and get more comfortable.

Jinsol simply clings to me tightly, trying to stay close to me.

Once we're a bit more comfortable, I reach for the light switch near my bed and close my eyes.

'I won't let anything bad happen to either one of us, Jinsol. I promise you that. You're under my care and protection now.'

*******************

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note:
> 
> So here's another chapter.
> 
> hit me up on twitter @shaimaafoop
> 
> Enjoy and have a good day/night! :3


	13. Lunch Date

*Nobody POV*

Before Hyoyeon leaves the house for work, she writes a quick note to the girls and lays it on the kitchen counter for them.

She had gotten a call that she'd have to work overtime so she would be home very late. In the note, she wrote that Jinsol was allowed to stay another night and Jungeun could go out and have fun as long as both Boris and Jinsol were with her.

She grabs her bag and heads out, locking the door after herself.

*Jungeun POV*

I blink my eyes open, some sunlight falling onto me from between the folds in the curtain. Turning my head to check my alarm clock, I find myself stuck in Jinsol's embrace.

She really didn't let go of me all night. I can't help but smile and turn in her arms to kiss her nose after noting the time is 10 am.

'Jinsol. Wake up, sleepy head.' We've slept for over 12 hours, we really should get up and make something of our day.

'No... I want to stay here.' I chuckle at her whiny voice and pull away from her embrace, standing next to the bed.

'Then I'll go have fun on my own today. I'm sure I can find another guide around town.' 

At that, she suddenly sits up in bed and rubs her eyes. 'No, I'll get up. Look, I'm awake!'

I laugh and pet Boris, who had walked up to me from where he was sleeping next to my closet.

'Good morning.' I smile and hold out my hand for her to take. She holds it gently and gets up, pulling me into a tight hug.

'Good morning, love.' I feel my cheeks heating up. I really wouldn't mind waking up like this every day...

Jinsol lets go of me and smiles at me sleepily. I immediately smile back as brightly as I can and walk towards my closet.

'You can pick out any clothes you want to borrow, there should be something in here that fits you.' 

She chuckles and I can't help but melt. I love how carefree she is around me.

It feels so strange to think we only met each other 2 days ago. It's as if she's always been there.

I grab a pair of jeans and a sweater. It's still cold and I've never been great with low temperatures.

Jinsol grabs a sweater of mine as well, a slightly oversized one to fit her taller stature and I head into the hallway to go to the bathroom to get ready. 

I show Jinsol to our other bathroom so she can do the same.

***

After giggling for 10 minutes at my egg-cracking skills, we finally finish making and eating breakfast with Boris eating his.

'What should we do today? I finally have full freedom since mom said I can do anything as long as you're with me.' 

I smile at Jinsol as she helps me clean the dishes. This feels warm and domestic.

'Well, we might want to pass by the cafe. My boss texted me he'll be back by noon and even though I don't have to work, I need to take the keys back and feed the fish.'

I nod and dry my hands before handing her the towel.

'I don't care where we go, as long as you're there.' 

She blushes and my heart feels fuzzy. 'Put on a thick coat then and don't forget your scarf, I don't want you to get sick.'

I nod eagerly and run to the hallway to fetch my coat and scarf, putting them and my boots on.

In the time it took me to do all that, Jinsol loosely put on her coat and shoes, waiting by the door patiently with Boris.

'You're gonna catch a cold like that! Close your jacket up!' I rush to her to close it for her but she grabs my hands and kisses them.

'No need, dear. I don't get sick. Don't ask me why but I simply don't and I really don't mind the cold. I prefer it over warm days actually.' 

I shake my head and hold her hand tightly before unlocking and opening the front door.

'At least hold my hand then. And tell me if you do get cold, please.' A nod is all I need to pull her and Boris through the door and quickly lock it behind us.

*Nobody POV*

The pair walk through town, hand-in-hand and with soft smiles on their faces.

Jinsol occasionally stops to point out a shape she sees in the clouds above and Jungeun patiently smiles and stares at the sky with her every time.

They arrive at the cafe just as Jinsol's boss is unlocking the door.

'Hey, Jinsol! I see you brought your new friend again?' He unlocks the door and lets them into the slightly warmer cafe.

They quickly bow in thanks and Jinsol rubs Jungeun's hands to warm them.

'My name is Jungeun, thanks for letting us stay here the other night. Sorry for falling asleep on your couch.'

He smiles and shakes his head. 'No need for apologies. It was refreshing to see Jinsol peaceful for once. You're always welcome here.'

Jungeun nods and smiles as Jinsol reaches into her pocket to retrieve the cafe keys and hand them to her boss.

'Oh, thanks. Will you feed the fish as well while you're here? You know only you do it properly. I don't need Vivi accidentally killing one of the fish again and you glaring at her for 3 days straight.'

Jinsol only nods and pulls Jungeun with her to the back of the cafe.

She reaches into the closet underneath the big aquarium for the fish food and proceeds to carefully feed the fish. 

Jungeun sits on the couch and stares at how gentle Jinsol is when she moves to feed the beta. Her movements are very calculated, eyes calm like the water in the tank.

She really loves fish, that much is clear. Jinsol would fit the role of marine biologist just fine.

'We'll open in an hour. Vivi just came in and is preparing in the back. You're welcome to prepare yourself and Jungeun any drink you like. It's on the house. Have something to warm yourself up before going back out into the cold, okay?' 

Jinsol's boss winked at the girls and went back to his office to prepare for the shift.

Jungeun yells a thank you after him and bows deeply before skipping over to Jinsol and hugging her tightly.

'Would you please make me a hot chocolate?' Jungeun pouts and uses her puppy eyes on Jinsol. Not that she needed to. Jinsol was prepared to do whatever Jungeun asked of her.

And that was a scary thought.

She simply clears her throat and nods before kissing her cheek.

'Okay. One hot chocolate special, coming right up for my dear Jungie.' 

This effectively makes Jungeun turn 3 different shades of red and hide in Jinsol's jacket.

They take their jackets off and throw them on the couch before moving to the counter. Jinsol quickly grabs an empty bowl and fills it with water, setting it on the floor near Boris before making Jungeun's hot chocolate.

'You're so good with Boris. Have you ever had a dog of your own?'

Jinsol shakes her head as she draws a heart onto the chocolate milk with cream and cinnamon.

'No, never had a pet. I felt like I shouldn't be caring for another living being. Like I would destroy anything I came into contact with.'

Jungeun frowns as Jinsol hands her the hot mug. 'But you're so kind. And you take care of the fish, don't you?'

Jinsol nods and leans over to kiss Jungeun on the nose. 'That's true, I suppose. I'm coming to terms with possibly being able to care for others since meeting you 2 days ago. Though it feels like I've known you for a lifetime.'

Jungeun steps around the counter and pulls Jinsol into a sweet kiss before pulling away and looking her in the eye.

'I feel the same way. And I love it. I-'

Vivi walks in with a box of pastries and starts setting up the display case.

'Hey, Jungeun. Jinsol.' She simply nods at them and gets back to work.

Jungeun blushes and quickly grabs her chocolate milk and goes to the back to sit down on the couch.

She seriously almost said she loves Jinsol. She takes a sip of the hot liquid to calm her nerves. Jinsol follows after her slowly, smitten with her.

The girls sit and chat for a while, softly so nobody could hear them.

Lucky for them, it wasn't very busy at the cafe. They lost track of time until around 2 pm, Jungeun's stomach growls.

'Haha, maybe we should get some lunch?' Jinsol offers sweetly while patting Jungeun's head. Jungeun simply nods and leans into her touch.

They walk to the counter to say bye to Vivi.

'Vivi, we'll be going to get lunch. Do you have any recommendations?'

Vivi turns to them while taking her apron off.

'Since it's a slow day, boss is going to let me off early and take care of things himself here. He'll call me if it suddenly gets busier. We could go for lunch together? I was supposed to meet Haseul but we can make it a double date?' Vivi smiles at them sweetly, her eyes like crescent moons, soft pink hair framing her face.

Jungeun eagerly nods as Jinsol blushes.

'That would be awesome, I've been meaning to pay you guys back somehow. We could go to my house and cook together? My mom won't be home all day anyway.'

Jinsol wraps an arm around Jungeun as she looks at her questioningly. She nods and Jungeun's face lights up before turning back to Vivi.

'I'll give you guys mine and Seul's numbers. Text us the address? I'll go pick her up and come to you guys. I'm sure she'll be thrilled.'

Jungeun squeals happily before exchanging numbers with Vivi and quickly making sure she has Jinsol's number too.

The couple leaves the cafe clinging tightly to each other. Mainly to shield Jungeun from the cold. It snows slightly as they walk home with Boris running after the snowflakes and trying to catch them mid-air.

When they arrive at Jungeun's house, she quickly texts her mom that she'll have new friends over and starts looking around for ingredients to make lunch.

Jinsol simply stands back and admires Jungeun's energy. She really deserves to have more friends.


	14. Start of a good friendship

*Nobody POV*

The girls had a bit too much fun cooking together, Jinsol even managed to play around with Haseul and Vivi a bit. Vivi smiles softly as she watches Jungeun and Jinsol wash the dishes together. Haseul and her were put in charge of cleaning the dining room and kitchen counter. 

As Vivi finishes brooming and Haseul wipes the last bit of dirt off the table, Haseul turns to her girlfriend. 'They really make a cute pair, don't they?' Vivi smiles and wraps an arm around her small girlfriend. 'They're great together. I'm glad to see Jinsol so open. I have never seen her smile or laugh. Especially not so genuinely happy like this.' Haseul frowns at this and looks up at Vivi. 'She really was a loner before she found her bond, wasn't she?'

Vivi only sighs and nods. The girls were lucky to have found each other so early on. And even luckier to have Vivi and Haseul find them.

'Guys, do you want some coffee or tea or something?' Jungeun walks out of the kitchen, Jinsol following closely behind her. She smiles at the couple, a faint blush on her cheeks from playing around with Jungeun in the kitchen. Vivi smiles and nods. 'Jinsol, why don't we make our girls a drink while they go relax? After all, they made most of the food. Drinks are more of our speciality.' 

The baristas move into the kitchen, but not before stealing a kiss from their respective girlfriends. Jungeun and Haseul move into the living room and settle in the couch, falling into comfortable conversation.

*Jungeun POV*

'So you beat up a guy for Jinsol?' Haseul's voice is filled with amusement and surprise. Nodding, I laugh at her expression. She has a very expressive face.

'Yeh, kind of. I just broke his finger.'I shrug and giggle as Haseul sputters nonsense in confusion. 'How the hell?! Wow, your life is a drama.' We laugh together and turn our head towards the kitchen at the sound of some cups clinking together. 

'Let's hope those 2 really know what they're doing. My mom will kill me if she finds anything broken.' Haseul smiles at me sweetly and pats my leg. 'Don't worry. I'll be killing them first if they dare break something in their host's house. That's just plain disrespectful.' I chuckle but it quickly turns to a nervous clearing of my throat. Haseul looks entirely too serious about this. To be fair, I could see her murdering them for something like this. She seems to be the motherly strict and righteous yet loving type. The type to beat some sense into you and treat your wounds after.

'Let's hope it doesn't come to that.' 

Footsteps are heard behind us and I turn to see the girls walking towards us with two trays. Jinsol is holding a plate of cookies on hers while Vivi is perfectly balancing 4 mugs on hers.

'I have a coffee special for my dear Seul.' Vivi hands her the drink with a soft smile and turns to me. 'Our Jinsol made Jungeun a sweet hot chocolate special.' She hands me my drink with the signature heart on top. Jinsol had written two J's in it as well this time, it's endearing. I blush and thank them both before taking a small sip.

'What are the drink masters having?' Haseul shoots a wink to them and they chuckle cutely. Jinsol grabs her mug and pushes the tray of biscuits to the middle of the coffee table before settling on the couch next to me. Vivi does the same but settles next to Haseul on the other side of the couch.

'I'm having a caffe latte and Jinsol over there managed to find some matcha tea powder and went off with it.' Vivi sips her latte and smiles at us sweetly. I swear, she's so adorable. However, my eyes find their way to the tall girl next to me automatically. Jinsol looks down at her cup and blushes. I smile and lean up to kiss her cheek. 

'What are you having, Sol?' I keep my voice soft, knowing she isn't comfortable with talking around others yet of course. She nervously grips her mug tightly, staring into it.

'M-Matcha...Latte...' Her cheeks redden even more. Her voice was soft and shaky but loud enough for everyone to hear. I hear Vivi and Haseul squeal next to us and smile up at Jinsol sweetly. Finally, she dares to look at me too and I nearly melt. I lean up and kiss her sweetly. 'Enjoy.' Now we're both blushing like idiots.

'You guys are too cute! And Jinsol, sweetie, you really have a nice voice. It's a shame you don't bless our ears with it more often.' Haseul's praise causes Jinsol to nearly choke on her drink. I quickly put down my mug and pat her back, rubbing soothing circles as she coughs loudly. 

'Seul, don't embarrass her. Let her take it at her pace.' Vivi shushes her girlfriend quickly and shoots me an apologetic look. I simply shake my head, mouthing it's okay, and turn back to Jinsol who was finally breathing regularly again. 'You okay, Sol?' She nods at me and takes another sip of her drink, urging me to do the same. I chuckle and reach for a cookie.

I take a bite and before pulling the entire cookie in my mouth, I turn to Jinsol to offer her the other half. She has other plans, however. Her eyes zone in on my lips, and the cookie half hanging out from it. She places her mug on the table and leans in quickly, kissing me and biting off the bit that was out of my mouth. I blush as she pulls away and grabs her mug again as if nothing happened. I turn to sneakily touch my lips, still confused. I slowly chew my cookie as Vivi and Haseul shoot me a knowing look. I simply stick my tongue out at them and grab my drink to hide behind.

 

* * *

Haseul and Vivi ended up having dinner with us too and left after giving us both a tight hug and saying once more that they're happy for us and glad that we can be friends. Haseul promptly told me to come by again and bring Boris.

Currently, I'm sitting on the couch, watching Jinsol lay on the living room carpet with Boris. At some point, he had gotten playful and Jinsol somehow was able to keep up with him. She played around with him until they both got tired. Now, Jinsol is laying on top of Boris, lazily ruffling his fur. Boris fell asleep a few minutes ago. I check the clock. It's nearing 10 pm, I'm getting a bit sleepy.

'Jinsol, I'm getting a bit tired. Should we go sleep?'

She sits up and looks at me, tilting her head in a similar way to Boris. 'You're sure I can stay the night again?' I nod and reach out for her. She crawls towards me and kneels on the floor between my legs, looking up at me sweetly. Her hands wrap around my waist loosely and she nuzzles her face into my stomach. 'I have work tomorrow.'

I nod softly and run my hand through her hair softly. 'When do you have to go?' She sighs, holding up her hand, showing 4 fingers.

I gasp and gently pull her head away from my stomach. '4 AM?! Why didn't you tell me? You need to sleep, Sol!' She shrugs and looks at me sadly. 'I just wanted to spend more time with you...'

I smile and pull her up into a sweet kiss. She tightens her hold around my waist as I caress her cheeks. Her lips are so soft against mine. I break away before I lose myself in the kiss.

'You'll still be able to spend so much time with me, Jinsol. I'm not going anywhere, okay? My mom is sending me to school starting next week to see if I could fit into this school. Then maybe I can actually study my entire senior year at a real school next year and finish school properly. But I promise we'll still be able to see each other every day. After all, you're my angel and I feel like I'd go insane if I don't see you daily and hear your deep voice...' I grab her hands from around me and squeeze them tightly, looking her in the eye. 

She smiles up at me and jumps up, pulling me with her. 'Let's get to bed then. I'll finish work on time tomorrow and we can prepare for your going to school together every day!' I smile at her and hug her tightly.

'I'd like that a lot. Will you be my private tutor, Jinsollie?' She blushes and nods. 'I'm a bit slow sometimes but I aced all my classes, that's why I'm already working now. So I can start university next year with people my age.'

I pull her into a deep kiss, squeezing her sides. She melts into me and I feel my heart race. I break the kiss after a while, head spinning and breathing ragged. 

'Lucky for you, I'm an exceptional student. So we can study and prepare, and still have time left for cuddles.' She chuckles at this. God, I love her voice.

She nods and pulls me towards the stairs, Boris whines as he gets up to follow us. I smile at him and pat his head as he rushes past us.

I can really get used to this.


	15. First day

*Nobody POV*

Tomorrow was the day. Jungeun would attend school again. She spent every free moment Jinsol had with her studying and cuddling. Jinsol wasn't lying when she said she aced all her classes. She easily explained everything slowly and understandably to Jungeun, who quickly picked everything up. They made a good team when it came to academics.

Jungeun's school was very close to Jinsol's apartment. Her mother allowed Jungeun to stay over at Jinsol's before the first day of school, to ease her nerves and prepare some more. She trusted Jinsol wholeheartedly and knew she wouldn't do anything too inappropriate to her daughter. And it wouldn't be bad to have her walk Jungeun to school, maybe intimidate some of the kids with her icy stare. 

Currently, Jinsol was cleaning up after their dinner together and leaned over to sneakily hand Boris a snack.

'Jinsol, I can hear him chewing, you know?' Jinsol looks up from Boris to find Jungeun still hunched over her backpack in the living room. She blushes after being caught and pats Boris on the head sweetly.

'Sorry, he just looked at me so sweetly and I haven't given him his snack yet.' She pouts at Jungeun's back, who is secretly smiling at the older girl's antics. Jinsol finishes cleaning and walks over to the couch, wrapping her arms around Jungeun tightly and nuzzling into her hair. Jungeun had died her hair a dark brown again, wanting to blend in better at school. 'I'm sorry, baby. I know he shouldn't have too many snacks and he's getting a bit older too...'

Before Jinsol can further apologise, she's stopped by Jungeun's soft giggles. She frowns before realisation dawns on her. 'Did you just pretend to be upset with me?!' Jungeun laughs harder at this and nearly falls off the couch as Jinsol retaliates by tickling her sides and climbing over the couch, on top of her. 'How dare you!' Jungeun tries to push Jinsol away from her but finds herself unable to through her giggles.

'I surrender, I surrender! I'm sorry, please stop.' Jinsol chuckles and stops her tickle attack, opting to instead pin her girlfriend down on the couch and kiss her sweetly. Jungeun eagerly reciprocates and whines as Jinsol pulls away.

'How is the paperwork going?' Jungeun grunts as Jinsol pulls her up. She shoves the last papers in her backpack and zips it up. 'I think I've got it all. My forms to hand in tomorrow, a copy of Boris' certificate and a note from my therapist explaining my situation.' Jinsol nods and lets Jungeun fall back against her in the couch. She runs her hand through Jungeun's dark locks and presses a kiss to her temple. right underneath her baby hairs.

'Then you're all set for tomorrow. You're entirely updated on all the courses and I'm sure you'll ace all your subjects in no time.' Jungeun nods softly, a frown settling between her eyes. 'I'm more worried about the social aspect than the academic, Sol.' Jinsol sighs and turns her head to look Jungeun in the eye.

'It's going to be okay. I'm going to walk you to school in the morning and I won't leave until you've gotten all your forms and need to go into class. okay?' Jungeun smiles sweetly at her and kisses her cheek softly. She felt so lucky to have Jinsol be so understanding and supportive. She can only hope to make nice friends like Haseul and Vivi. That reminded her of something.

'Thanks, Sol. By the way, Haseul said her little sister goes to the same school. She's a 2nd-year student but has befriended nearly everyone at school so she'd be able to tell me who the nice people are.' Jinsol smiles sweetly at her. Vivi had told her the same thing. Yeojin was going to meet them tomorrow morning at the school gates and help Jungeun get around whenever she could.

'She's going to show you around a bit in the morning already actually. I'll join in on the tour since I don't have work until 10 am tomorrow. I'll come to pick you up after class too if you want me to?'

Jungeun's smile widens and she tackles Jinsol in a tight hug. 'I'd love that.'

 

* * *

Jungeun ends up falling asleep on Jinsol in the couch. Jinsol picks her up and carries her to the bed where she curls up against her once again. They awaken the next morning to Jungeun's alarm going off.

Jinsol leaves Jungeun to get dressed in her school uniform after getting dressed herself and goes to the kitchen to prepare her a nice breakfast.

As she finishes setting the table, she hears Jungeun enter the room.

'Mom called, she said to have a nice day and thanks to you again for being there for me. I feel like she likes you more than me now.' Jinsol chuckles as she raises her head, only for that chuckle to get stuck in her windpipe and make her choke. 

Her eyes widen as she coughs and tries to tear her eyes away from Jungeun. She looks absolutely adorable yet ravishing in her school uniform. Jinsol blushes harder as Jungeun approaches and gently pats her back to ease the coughs.

'Are you okay, Sollie?' The nickname didn't help. Jinsol nods slightly as she gets her coughs under control and makes the mistake of looking into Jungeun's big puppy eyes.

'Yeh... You just... You look really nice...' Jungeun blushes but manages to smirk and wraps her arms around Jinsol's neck. Jinsol automatically finds her wrapping her arms around Jungeun's small waist, squeezing at her back softly. 'Why, thank you.' She winks at her and kisses Jinsol sweetly before settling at the table to eat. 

Jinsol shakes her head, still blushing and settles at the table next to her. They eat mostly in silence while stealing glances from each other. Boris had already finished his breakfast and was cutely waiting by the door to leave.

After cleaning up, they make their way to school. Jungeun's hand is tightly wrapped in Jinsol's, nerves evident.

 

*Jungeun POV*

As we near my school, Jinsol tightens her hold on my hand. I squeeze back, smiling up at her sweetly. Her gaze has turned cold again, ready to shut herself off from anyone that tries to approach her. We walk through the school gates hand-in-hand and stand at the side, waiting for Yeojin. Jinsol said Haseul sent her a picture of us and Haseul said we should look out for a small hyper kid with a deep voice.

I had somehow almost forgotten how absolutely stunning Jinsol is and that I'm not the only person with eyes here. Boris stands by my side, looking around tentatively. He hasn't been in a school environment in such a long time. I pat his head gently and Jinsol turns to me, her eyes softening for a split second before hardening again as a sweet looking girl approaches us, about my height. Slumping behind her is a slightly taller girl, focused on the girl in front of her.

'HEY! YOU'RE NEW, RIGHT?' The taller girl wraps her arms around the vitamin girl from behind and looks us up and down before speaking. Her voice is smooth.

'Jiwoo, I told you not everyone can handle how hyper you are.' The smaller girl, Jiwoo, pouts cutely before nodding. 'I'm sorry, Soo! I'm Jiwoo, and this is Sooyoung!' Still hyper but slightly less loud, she introduces both of them. I smile at her, she reminds me of Boris when I just got him. Just a friendly puppy, no harm intended.

I reach out to shake her hand. 'My name is Jungeun. I am indeed new here. I'll be joining some of the 5th year classes until the end of this year.' Jiwoo's eyes sparkle as she pulls me into a tight hug, causing Sooyoung to let go of her.

'Ah, that's great! I'm a 5th year too! Maybe we'll be in the same class! Either way, I hope we can become good friends, Jungeun!' I smile at her, feeling quite at ease around this energetic girl. I move out of the hug and notice Jiwoo and Sooyoung now both staring at Jinsol. She's still standing beside me, eyes cold and body frozen. I soften at how hard she's trying to contain herself.

Smiling, I reach over to hold her hand, to which she squeezes mine back tightly. 'You're new too?' Sooyoung inquires, her gaze stuck on Jinsol's.

I shake my head. 'No, Jinsol finished high school early. She's working now and preparing for uni next year.' The pair tilt their head and nod softly. 'We're the same age then probably. Ha Sooyoung, senior and this vitamin's girlfriend.' Sooyoung reaches a hand out to Jinsol, which she surprisingly takes. I watch as they shake hands quite tightly before promptly letting go. Maybe Jinsol can make a friend too. I see something I recognise as intrigue, sparkle in her eyes and can't help but smile at her brightly.

'You guys make a cute couple.' Jiwoo smiles as she wraps her arms around Sooyoung's, cuddling into her side. 'Thanks! I think so too!' Sooyoung rolls her eyes but it's playful as she soon kisses Jiwoo on the nose, a soft smile on her lips.

'Why is Jinsol here then?' I smile and blush slightly. 'She's my girlfriend. She lives nearby and wanted to walk me to school. It's been a while since I've gone to school and I was quite nervous.'

Jinsol turns to me, her eyes showing love for a moment, calming me. 'That's so sweet! Are you still nervous? It'll be okay! You have Soo and me now!'

I smile at them and nod. 'I feel a bit better now. I hope we can be good friends.' I look up to find even Jinsol smiling ever so slightly for a moment. 

Boris barks at my feet and I look up to follow his line of sight. A small girl runs across the school grounds, seemingly screaming my name.

'JUNGEUN! LET'S GO BEFORE HASEUL KILLS ME!' We all laugh and Jiwoo and Sooyoung stop the girl from tackling me.

'You know Haseul and this lentil bean? I think we'll be great friends.' Sooyoung laughs and drags Yeojin along as we make our way to the front office. 

I don't think I need to worry about finding friends anymore.


	16. After school

*Nobody POV*

Jungeun's day goes well. She ends up exchanging numbers with Sooyoung, Jiwoo and Yeojin as they became quite close during the day. Jinsol texted her during lunch break, saying she missed her to which Jungeun could only smile and reply that she missed her girlfriend too.

Jiwoo ends up being in the same class as hers. She sits at the desk behind Jungeun and between lessons, Jiwoo taps her on the shoulder to make conversation. Sooyoung pops in often, causing most of the kids in class to gasp and swoon over her. They can't compete though, Jiwoo is the only one for Sooyoung. Boris took a liking to all the girls, playing around with them during breaks and opting to nap under Jungeun's desk during class.

Jungeun loves their dynamic, how they tease each other but obviously love each other dearly. Yeojin hugs her tightly after school and asks to please tell Haseul she did a good job. The group just laughs and walks out to the school gates.

'Jinsol is picking you up?' Jungeun nods at Jiwoo softly as they walk. 'She got off work an hour ago so she's coming to pick me up and she'll probably have dinner with my mom and me.' Sooyoung raises her eyebrows and wraps an arm around Jiwoo. 'How long did it take again for you to finally introduce me to your family, babe? I honestly can't believe you guys have only been together for a few days.' Jungeun shrugs and chuckles as Jiwoo pouts cutely.

'Soo, you know my parents are very protective...' Sooyoung chuckles and kisses her girlfriend's cheek sweetly. 'I know, I'm only teasing.' Jiwoo's face brightens and she clings to her taller girlfriend tightly.

'You guys are adorable.' Jungeun is glad they didn't feel weirded out when she explained her situation and how short Jinsol and her have known each other. The 2 just felt for her and were glad she found someone like Jinsol.

At the school gates, Jungeun spots a bunch of students whispering and lingering around. She squints slightly against the afternoon sun and sighs as she notices what the fuss is about.

'Watch out, Jungeun. Looks like others have noticed your girlfriend there.' Sooyoung pats her on the back as they walk closer to where Jinsol is waiting patiently. She looks ethereal in the soft sunlight, her blonde hair glistening. Jungeun grips her backpack tighter and walks right up to her girlfriend, pulling her into a searing kiss.

The crowd gasps and most of the kids let their shoulders slump and walk away. Jiwoo and Sooyoung shoo away the rest of the voyeurs and turn to chuckle at the couple. 

Jinsol smiles into the kiss and pulls away to hug her tightly and whisper into her ear. 'Jungie, are you jealous?' Jungeun pulls away from the hug to look her in the eye. Her face is flushed and she nods softly. 'I don't want anyone to look at you like that except for me.' Jinsol chuckles and pats her head gently, nodding.

'You guys alright? I think they got the point.' Jungeun turns and smiles at her new friends gratefully. 'Thanks, guys. Sorry about that.'

Jiwoo shrugs and walks up to them. 'I've had to do the same before when Soo and I just started dating. You guys are off to home then?' Jinsol clears her throat and leans in to whisper in Jungeun's ear softly.

'I wanted to take you out to the cafe for a hot chocolate special, to celebrate a successful day.' Jungeun smiles widely and hugs Jinsol tightly. 'I'd really like that!'

Sooyoung tilts her head as she walks up to Jiwoo and leans her head on the smaller girl's shoulder from behind. 'Are we missing something here?' 

 

*Jinsol POV*

Jungeun looks so happy with her friends, it wouldn't hurt to get to know them better. Spending time outside of school together would help them become closer and Jungeun deserves some real and good friends. I can judge them better if I hang out with them too.

I nudge Jungeun and tilt my head towards the other two. She searches my eyes for a moment. I let a small smile slip and nod at her.

'Guys, do you maybe want to come along to the cafe Jinsol works at? It's not super far away and Jinsol makes the best hot chocolate ever!' Jiwoo hops up and down excitedly, grabbing Jungeun's hands. Sooyoung just stares at the pair hopping up and down, mildly amused, as do I.

'Sure, we were going to hang out for a bit before I drop Jiwoo off at home anyway.' Sooyoung sends a nod my way, which I return coldly and our respective girlfriends stop hopping around like idiots to grab our hands tightly.

'Let's go then!' 

We walk together comfortably. Jungeun and Jiwoo chat happily together. Sooyoung occasionally teases them about something or shoots me a friendly glance. I keep my involvement to a minimum, only nodding occasionally when I'm asked something.

'Is Vivi working now?' I nod softly at Jungeun before holding the door open for the girls. 

'I can't believe we haven't come here before if Vivi works here.' Sooyoung shrugs at Jiwoo. 'You know we usually just hang out at the diner, Haseul and Vivi both prefer it that way.'

As we walk up to the counter, I nod at Vivi in greeting before sliding behind the counter. 'Hey, guys! Jinsol will handle your orders while I deal with the other customers. I'll come to chat a bit when it calms down.'

Jiwoo hugs Vivi tightly as she passes by before standing at the counter with Sooyoung and Jungeun. Jungeun smiles at me and winks, leading me to blush slightly. I clear my throat and log into the cash register to take their orders. The plan was to pay for Jungeun but I might as well be nice and pay for her friends too as this is their first hangout together.

'You know what I want, Sol.' I nod and return a wink her way, leaving her blushing and sputtering in place as I punch in her order. I point towards the couch near the books and aquaria in the back. She gets the hint and walks that way.

'Guys, come join me in the back of the cafe when you're done ordering. You'll love it there.' Jiwoo nods excitedly and steps up.

'Jungeun said you make an amazing hot chocolate and I'm intrigued but I also really like strawberries. Any recommendations?' I nod firmly and point at the board. Jiwoo follows my finger and tilts her head.

'White chocolate drink? I'll let you surprise me!' I nod again and punch her order in, adding a note to add strawberry syrup to it. Sooyoung walks up, wallet in hand.

'I'll just have an Americano. How much is it?' I punch in her order and shake my head, pushing her hand away. I point to myself, trying to make it clear that it's on me.

'You can't just do that!' I shake my head again and point towards the back of the cafe where Jungeun has been waiting. Sooyoung grunts and nods at me as Jiwoo shoots me a sweet smile.

'Thank you, Jinsol. It's very sweet of you.' I nod and turn to make their drinks. I take extra care while making Jungeun's drink, adding my signature heart on top with cinnamon and cream. I make Jiwoo's hot chocolate with white chocolate and add some strawberry syrup for flavour, I top it with a fresh strawberry and make Sooyoung's simple Americano next. I grab a cinnamon bun for Jungeun and me and a big piece of strawberry cake for Sooyoung and Jiwoo. I hope they like it.

Wait, why am I worried whether they'll like it or not? I shouldn't care.

But these are Jungeun's first friends in a while. She deserves to have good friends.

And maybe so do I?

I shake my head and make my way over to them with our drinks and pastries.


	17. Closer

*Sooyoung POV*

I smile at Jungeun and Jiwoo as they happily converse. It still amazes me how easily Jiwoo can befriend people. I turn my head to find Jinsol balancing 2 trays, walking our way. Jumping up, I rush forward to take one of the trays off her, shooting her a friendly smile. She simply nods back but her eyes soften for a moment.

She's a curious one, that Jinsol. In an intriguing way. I think our personalities aren't that far off in general. I also tend to keep to myself even though plenty of people want my attention. Still, I'm not quite as shut-off as Jinsol shows herself to be.

'Oh, that looks delicious Jinsol! Thanks so much!' I chuckle at Jiwoo's excitement as I set the trays down with Jinsol. She swiftly hands everyone their drinks and even gives Jiwoo and me a strawberry cake to share. I'll definitely do something for Jungeun and her in return at some point.

'Thanks for this Jinsol, seriously.' She meets my eyes and nods meaningfully. 

Jiwoo sips from her drink carefully and I swear I see her eyes light up like Christmas lights. 'THIS IS THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE!' Jungeun and I chuckle as Jinsol seems to slightly blush at the compliment. My americano tastes quite amazing as well. She really seems to have a talent for this.

'I don't think the owner of this place would ever let you go willingly, Jinsol. If this is the quality you put out. Damn, girl.' Jungeun laughs and smiles at Jinsol sweetly. The couple cuddles into each other on the couch as they sip their drinks comfortably. I find my arm slipping around Jiwoo's waste in automatism.

'Wait, where did Boris go?' I turn to look at Jiwoo and look at the floor next to Jungeun. Indeed, the jolly retriever seems to have disappeared. Jinsol clears her throat and points towards the front of the store. We all turn our heads and smile. Boris was cutely walking alongside Vivi as she gave people their orders. The customers seem to love his sweet demeanour.

'I thought he was supposed to always stay by your side in case of an attack or something?' Jungeun turns to Jiwoo, blushing. What's that about?

'Well, technically he is supposed to and always has. Since Jinsol came into my life he's felt that I'm safe enough for him to give me more space.' Jinsol's cheek redden at this too and I swear I saw the corner of her mouth curl up into a smile for a moment. Cute.

'That's so cute!' Jungeun chuckles and pats Jiwoo's head. 'Tell me about it. He also adores Jinsol. He hangs around her more than me lately.' Jinsol looks slightly guilty and snaps her fingers for a moment, looking at Jungeun.

*Nobody POV*

Jinsol does feel a bit guilty since Jungeun seems to think both her mother and dog like her better now. As she snaps her fingers, Boris' reaction is instantaneous. He turns his head in their direction and happily trots over to Jinsol. Settling between her legs, he looks up at her sweetly with his tongue sticking out.

Jinsol shakes her head and points at Jungeun, to which he tilts his head cutely. Jungeun raises an eyebrow at the interaction and turns to her girlfriend to whisper in her ear, a gentle hand resting on her knee.

'You okay, Sol?' Jinsol nods softly and turns to reply lowly. 'Yeh, just feel guilty he spends more time with me.' Jungeun chuckles at this and kisses her cheek sweetly before reaching over to pet Boris.

'Jiwoo, could you call Boris for a moment?' Jiwoo nods excitedly as Sooyoung moves the table away a bit to make space for the dog. 'Come here, Boris!' 

Boris looks at her sweetly but remains seated. 'Go on, buddy.' At Jungeun's words, he cutely shuffles over to the auburn-haired girl and her amused girlfriend. Sooyoung loves sitting back and watching scenarios unfold. Jungeun and Jinsol's situation seems particularly intriguing. 

'He's so soft! Baby, pet him!' Sooyoung turns to her girlfriend playing with the dog and reaches over to scratch behind his ear. He really is extremely soft.

As those 2 play with the dog, Jungeun turns to her girlfriend fully and smiles at her. 'I really don't mind that. In fact, it makes me happy. He never got to interact with other people much because of my condition. And now, thanks to you, he can finally fully be his social self.' Jinsol blushes at this and nods, leaning forward to hide her face in the crook of Jungeun's neck, arms wrapping around her waist.

'I love you.' Her breath hitches, heart warming. Jungeun reaches up to run her hands through Jinsol's blonde locks, breathing deeply. 'I love you too. So much.'

The pair share a soft kiss and smile as Vivi walks up to the table.

'I'm glad to see you're making good friends already.' Jungeun smiles up at her sweetly and nods. 'Yeh! It's great that you know each other already too! It seems like we're starting to form one big friend group!' Everyone chuckles at this.

Empty cups long-forgotten due to excited conversation and sweet puppy eyes, Sooyoung decides it's time to take Jiwoo home.

'Your mom will worry, baby.' Jiwoo nods sadly and pulls Jungeun into a tight hug. She can't help but chuckle as she returns the hug. 'We'll see each other in class tomorrow, Jiwoo!' This instantly brightens the girl's mood. 'That's right! Yes! Have a good night then, everyone! Thanks again for the drinks and pastry, Jinsol.' Jinsol nods softly, the ghost of a smile on her lips.

'Thanks so much, guys. See you tomorrow, Jungeun! Say hi to Momseul for me, Vivi?' Vivi laughs at the nickname but nods eagerly and pats Sooyoung on the back. 'Get home safe, girls.'

Jungeun tightly holds Jinsol's hand as they walk the girls out of the cafe to say a final goodbye. Boris happily wags his tail as Sooyoung and Jiwoo walk away.

'We'll go home too then, Vivi. Glad we got to see you.' Vivi smiles and nods. 'Get home safe and I hope to see you here or at the diner again soon. Keep an eye on Yeojin for us, will you?' Jungeun smiles and Jinsol tugs her closer so they can make their way to her house. Boris takes a moment to lick at Vivi's hand before picking up his pace to protectively walk beside Jungeun.

 

The rain picks up as Jinsol and Jungeun reach her house. They quickly walk in to find Jungeun's mother setting the table.

'Mom, hey!' She gets engulfed in a motherly hug. 'How was your day, dear? I hope it went well?' Jungeun nods happily. 'It was great! Thanks to Jinsol, I don't feel like I missed anything! And I made some friends. We went to get drinks with them after school.'

Jinsol also gets pulled into a big momma bear hug. Blushing, she returns the hug and smiles softly. 'Thanks for taking care of my daughter, Jinsol. Now, come on! Let's eat!'

They all help to further set the table and feed Boris as well before sitting down to eat.

Jungeun tells her mother all about her day while happily stuffing her face. Jinsol occasionally chuckles at her stories and makes sure Jungeun's face stays somewhat clean, with the way she's eating and talking so excitedly.

Jungeun's mother blinks back her tears at some point, happy to see her daughter finally happy and comfortable again. They end up cleaning up together and watch some shows together for a while. Jinsol notices the time and thinks it's time to head back to her apartment.

'Don't be silly. It's raining terribly out there and it's getting late. Just stay over again.' Jinsol blushes as Jungeun smiles brightly at her mother. 'Really mom?' She receives a wink and nod in response.

'When do you have to work tomorrow, Sol?' Jinsol scratches the back of her neck and holds out 5 fingers. '5 am?' Jinsol nods. She did have the morning shift tomorrow. 

'Off to bed, you go then! I'll be going to work early every day this week so I can be home in the evening for your first week at school. I can drive you past the cafe tomorrow morning if you want, Jinsol.' Jinsol bows in thanks, a soft smile dancing on her lips.

'Thanks, mom. You're the best!'

* * *

After saying goodnight, the cuddle up on Jungeun's bed together. Jinsol reaches out to brush hair out of Jungeun's eyes and smiles at her lovingly. 'I'm glad you had a good day, today. I spent the whole day at the cafe just worrying over you and missing you.' Jungeun tears up at her sincerity and leans into Jinsol's touch.

'I missed you so much too. Will you pick me up from school tomorrow afternoon too?' Jinsol nods and leans in. 'I will take you to school and pick you up at any chance I get. You're top priority in my life now, Jungeun.' Slowly leaning in, they meet in the middle. Their lips and bodies tangling up perfectly.

Boris sighs contently on the floor next to the bed, closing his eyes to fall into a sweet slumber.

Jungeun and Jinsol hold each other close, never wanting to let go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note:
> 
> An UPDATE?! haha, enjoy? Have exams coming up so I'll be updating again probably as a means to take a break from studying :)
> 
> hmu on twitter @shaimaafoop
> 
> Have a good day/night :3

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoy this story!  
> Posting it here secondarily. Asianfanfics.com updates first.  
> Hit me up on twitter @shaimaafoop


End file.
